Zygomatic arch
In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygomatic bone (the side of the cheekbone), the two being united by an oblique suture (the zygomaticotemporal suture); the tendon of the temporal muscle passes medial to (i.e. through the middle of) the arch, to gain insertion into the coronoid process of the mandible (jawbone).
| Zygomatic arch | |
|---|---|
Side view of the skull. | |
Articulation of the mandible. Lateral aspect. | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arcus zygomaticus |
| MeSH | D015050 |
| TA98 | A02.1.00.023 |
| TA2 | 427 |
| FMA | 53120 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The jugal point is the point at the anterior (towards face) end of the upper border of the zygomatic arch where the masseteric and maxillary edges meet at an angle, and where it meets the process of the zygomatic bone.
The arch is typical of Synapsida ("fused arch"), a clade of amniotes that includes mammals and their extinct relatives, such as Moschops and Dimetrodon.