Also called: lower jaw, jawbone
The mandible is the lower jawbone and the only movable bone of the skull. Its horseshoe-shaped body carries the lower teeth, and its rami rise to the condylar and coronoid processes. The condyle articulates with the temporal bone at the temporomandibular joint, allowing chewing and speech.
| Type | Irregular bone. |
|---|---|
| Location | Lower part of the face. |
| Landmarks | Body, ramus, angle, condylar process, coronoid process, mandibular notch, mental foramen, mandibular foramen, alveolar process. |
| Articulations | Temporal bones (temporomandibular joints). |
| Muscle attachments | Masseter, temporalis, medial and lateral pterygoids, digastric, mylohyoid, geniohyoid. |
3D model: BodyParts3D (CC BY 4.0), adult male reference anatomy. Highlighted structure shown with nearby bones for context.
The inferior alveolar nerve enters the mandibular foramen and leaves through the mental foramen, supplying the lower teeth and chin.
The mandible, at the temporomandibular joint.
The lower teeth and, through the mental nerve, the skin of the chin and lower lip.
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