Crown (anatomy)

Crown
A birds-eye view of the crown, which is the highest point of the skull.
Details
System	Skeletal system
Insertions	Scalp, meninges, bones
Articulations	Sutures
Anatomical terms of bone [edit on Wikidata]

The crown is the top portion of the head behind the vertex. The anatomy of the crown varies between different organisms. The human crown is made of three layers of the scalp above the skull. The crown also covers a range of bone sutures, and contains blood vessels and branches of the trigeminal nerve.

The structure of the human crown provides a protective cavity for the brain and optimizes the crown's ability to ensure the neocortex is safe. Different parts of the neocortex, such as the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe, are protected by the meninges and bone structures. Other organisms, such as whales, have their blowholes on their crown, causing a flattened head shape. Some bird species have a crest located on their crown, used for communication and courtship.

Macroevolution of the human crown has led to different structures between modern and archaic human species, such as significant changes to the cranial vault. The human crown is prone to different injuries and disorders with various causes, medical signs and symptoms, methods of diagnosis, and treatments. For example, illnesses such as cerebrospinal fluid leak, which results in intense headaches that are localised underneath the crown. Other diseases include meningioma, a tumor surrounding essential blood vessels and nerves that may be near the crown, causing symptoms such as memory loss.