Important Clinical Anatomy of the Head, Neck, and Back

The clinical anatomy of the head, neck, and back is important to know because the structures located here allow you to think, speak, see, hear, taste, and smell. The head, neck, and back also house the nervous system control center that’s in charge of everything that happens in the body.

Here’s what you find in the head:

• Cranium

• Facial bones

• Brain

• Meninges (brain coverings)

• Pituitary gland

• Cranial nerves

• Scalp

• Eyes

• Nose and nasal cavity

• Mouth and oral cavity

• Ears

Here are the features of the neck:

• Sternocleidomastoid muscle (main muscle in the front of the neck)

• Thyroid gland

• Parathyroid glands (glands that control calcium levels in the blood and bones)

• Larynx

• Pharynx

• Trachea

And following are the main parts of the back:

• Vertebrae

• Spinal cord

• Spinal nerve roots