Dragon Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy and Physiology Terminology

Acetabulum
Part of the pelvic girdle. The cup-like hollow where the femur (thigh bone) fits into the hip girdle to form the hip joint.¹

Angular
In reptiles and other early vertebrates, the angular bone is part of the lower jaw bone, with one on each side of the lower jaw.⁴⁴

Atlas
The first vertebra in the vertebral column, modified to articulate with the skull.⁴²

Axis
The second vertebra in the vertebral column, modified to support the head.⁴³

Calcaneus
The largest of the tarsal bones, located in the lower rear part of the foot. Commonly referred to as the "heel bone" in humans.⁴⁵

Carpal
Carpal bones are of the proximal part of the hand of vertebrates and articulated with the radius and ulna on proximal side and distally with the metacarpals.² Humans possess eight carpal bones in the wrist area, while other groups possess between ten and twelve carpal bones.²

Caudal vertebra
The vertebrae of the tail along the spinal column.³

Coccyx
Fused tail vertebrae; the number of bones varies by species.⁴

Columella or columella auris
Part of the nose in many species. A small and delicate rod of bone of various position in different species.⁴⁶

Dentary
In vertebrates, one of the tooth-bearing membrane bones of the lower jaw.⁵

Digits
Commonly called "finger" or "toe" of a vertebrate. Part of the Pentadactyl Limb that contains the phalanges and may have associated claws, hooves, or nails.⁶

Femur
In tetrapod vertebrates, the thigh-bone connected to the pelvic girdle by way of the acetabulum.⁷

Fibula
In tetrapod, one of the two bones that comprise the lower part of the hind limb, the other bone being the tibia.⁸

Frontal Bone
A membrane bone. Two of these bones cover the forepart of the brain in vertebrates.¹⁴

Humerus
In tetrapods, the upper bone in the fore-limb connected to the Pectorial Girdle and connected distally to the radius and ulna.¹⁰

Ilium
In vertebrates, a bone that is paired to form part of the pelvic girdle, articulating with one of the sacral vertebrae.¹¹

Ischium
Ventral, back-projecting bone; a pair of this bone forms the pelvic girdle.¹²

Lumbar Vertebra
Bones of the lower back area of the spinal column, lacking so-called "true ribs" and located between thoracic and sacral vertebrae.¹³

Mandible
Vertebrate lower jaw bone.¹⁴

Maxilla
Sometimes a term used for the entire upper jaw of a vertebrate. Alternatively, one of the dermal bones of the upper jaw in vertebrates that carries all of the upper teeth.¹⁵

Metacarpal
In tetrapods, rod-like bones in the fore-foot that articulate with carpals proximally and phalanges distally. Usually there is one metacarpal bone for each digit.¹⁶

Metatarsal
In tetrapods, rod-like bones in the hind-foot that articulate with tarsals proximally and phalanges ditally, usually with one metatarsal bone for each digit.¹⁷

Nasal Cavity
In the tetrapod skull, a cavity that contains the olfactory organs for the sense of smell.¹⁸

Orbit
In the vertebrate skull, a depression or cavity that houses the eyeball.¹⁹

Palate
Roof of the mouth in most vertebrates, excepting mammals and crocodiles.²⁰

Palatine
In birds, a pair of large bones passing from the anterior ends of the pterygoids.⁴⁷

Parietal
In the vertebrate skull, one parietal bone is on each side of the skull under the eye orbits.²¹

Patella
Commonly called the kneecap. This bone sits over the front of the knee joint of a hind limb.²²

Pectorial Girdle
Commonly referred to as the "shoulder girdle." Skeletal support for vertebrates for attachment of forelimbs.²³

Pelvic Girdle
Commonly referred to as the "hip girdle." Skeletal support for vertebrates for the attachment of hind limbs.²⁴

Pelvis
Another term for the Pelvic Girdle.²⁴

Pentadactyl Limb
Type of limb found in tetrapod vertebrates, commonly called fore limb.²⁴

Phalanx Bones, Phalanges
Phalanges (singular phalanx) are bones of vertebrate digits, each of which has between one to five phalanges articulating in a row, running end to end.²⁵

Postorbital
In skulls, a bony strut formed by combination of the frontal and jugal bones, surrounding the eye with a bony ring.²⁶

Prefrontal
In lizards and some other reptiles, a small bone between the maxilla and the orbit in the skull.⁵⁰

Premaxilla
Dermal bone that forms the front part of the upper jaw in many vertebrates,²⁷ bearing teeth. In birds, this bone forms most of the upper break.²⁸

Prootic and Prootic-exoccipital
A bone of the auditory capsule. In young birds, this bone alone forms the auditory capsule.⁴⁸ In lizards, the prootic articulates with the exoccipital on each side of the skull, forming part of the brain case as well as the auditory capsule.⁴⁹

Pterygoid Process
Wing-like projections of the inferior part of the Sphenoid Bone, which is a butterfly-shaped bone at the base of the skull.²⁹

Quadrate
Cartilage-bone of posterior end of the vertebrate upper jaw, in most cases it articulates with the lower jaw.³⁰

Radius
In tetrapods, one of the two bones in the lower part of the fore-limb, the other being the ulna.³¹

Rib
Vertebrae skeletal struts. So-called "true ribs" connected ventrally with the sternum.³²

Sacral Vertebra
In tetrapods, vertebrae of the lower back, articulating with the pelvic girdle.³³

Sacrum
A group of fused sacral vertebrae, with the pelvic girdle being united to some or all of them.³³

Scapula
Dorsal components of vertebrate; in mammals, this bone is commonly referred to as the shoulder-blade.³⁴

Spinal Column, Spine
See Vertebral Column.

Squamosal
Membrane bone of the skull. In mammals, it takes over from the quadrate and dentary bones.³⁵

Sternum
Commonly referred to as the breast-bone. In tetrapods, the bone mid-chest to which so-called "true ribs" are attached.³⁶

Tarsals
The bones in the tetrapod hind-foot. Primitively ten to twelve tarsal bones are in each tarsus, but later species have fewer due to fusion or loss. The tarsal bones articulate proximally with the tibia and fibula, distally with the metatarsals.³⁷

Tarsus
In tetrapods, the region of the hind foot that contains the tarsal bones. In humans, this is roughly the ankle area.³⁷

Tibia
Commonly called the shinbone. In tetrapods, one of the two long bones below the knee in the hind limb, the other being the fibula.³⁸

Trochanter
In vertebrates, any knob for muscle attachment on the femur.³⁹

Ulna
In tetrapods, one of the bones in the fore-limb, lateral to the radius, that articulates distally with the carpus (carpal bones) and proximally with humerus. In some species, the ulna forms the commonly named "funny bone," or olecranon process, which protrudes over the humerus. In other species, the ulna might be fused with the radius or lost all together.⁴⁰

Vertebral Column
Runs the length of a vertebrate's skeletal body, articulating with the skull via the Atlas.⁴¹

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45. Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body: The Tarsus
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For more information on footnotes and references, please see the Bibliography.