Head and Neck Anatomy Quiz
Fifteen questions on the eye, the ear and the neck, many with diagrams. Tap an answer to see if you’re right.
Question 1 of 15
Name the highlighted structure at the front of the eye.
Eye, sliced across - Lens
- Iris
- Sclera
- Cornea
Show answer
Answer: Cornea. The clear front window of the eye. It does about two-thirds of the eye’s focusing, more than the lens.
Question 2 of 15
Name the highlighted structure.
Eye, sliced across - Ciliary body
- Vitreous humour
- Lens
- Cornea
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Answer: Lens. The lens fine-tunes focus by changing shape. When it clouds over, that’s a cataract.
Question 3 of 15
Name the highlighted light-sensing layer.
Eye, sliced across - Retina
- Sclera
- Cornea
- Choroid
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Answer: Retina. The retina holds the rods and cones. The choroid behind it is the blood supply; the sclera is the tough white outer coat.
Question 4 of 15
Name the highlighted structure leaving the back of the eye.
Eye, sliced across - Lateral rectus muscle
- Optic nerve (II)
- Central retinal artery only
- Oculomotor nerve (III)
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Answer: Optic nerve (II). The optic nerve carries signals to the brain. Where it leaves the eye there are no rods or cones: your blind spot.
Question 5 of 15
Name the highlighted pit, the spot of sharpest vision.
Eye, sliced across - Fovea
- Blind spot
- Ciliary body
- Optic disc
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Answer: Fovea. The fovea is packed with cones and nothing else, which is why you look straight at things you want to see in detail.
Question 6 of 15
Name the highlighted structure.
Right ear, sliced front-on - Malleus
- Tympanic membrane (eardrum)
- Round window
- Oval window
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Answer: Tympanic membrane (eardrum). The eardrum separates the ear canal from the middle ear and passes sound vibrations to the ossicles.
Question 7 of 15
Name the highlighted ossicle, the smallest bone in the body.
Right ear, sliced front-on - Hyoid
- Incus
- Stapes
- Malleus
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Answer: Stapes. The stapes (‘stirrup’), about 3 mm long. Its footplate pushes on the oval window of the inner ear.
Question 8 of 15
Name the highlighted snail-shaped structure.
Right ear, sliced front-on - Mastoid air cells
- Semicircular canals
- Vestibule
- Cochlea
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Answer: Cochlea. The cochlea turns vibration into nerve signals for hearing. Uncoiled, it’s about 3 cm long.
Question 9 of 15
Name the highlighted loops, which sense head rotation.
Right ear, sliced front-on - Cochlea
- Ossicles
- Eustachian tube
- Semicircular canals
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Answer: Semicircular canals. Three canals at right angles to each other. Loose crystals drifting into one (usually the posterior canal) cause BPPV, a common type of vertigo.
Question 10 of 15
Name the highlighted tube, which links the middle ear to the back of the nose.
Right ear, sliced front-on - Cochlear duct
- External ear canal
- Eustachian tube
- Nasolacrimal duct
Show answer
Answer: Eustachian tube. The Eustachian (pharyngotympanic) tube equalises pressure. Swallowing or yawning opens it: that’s the ‘pop’ on a plane.
Question 11 of 15
Which bone in the neck doesn’t form a joint with any other bone?
- Hyoid
- Axis (C2)
- Atlas (C1)
- Mandible
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Answer: Hyoid. The U-shaped hyoid is held in place by muscles and ligaments. It anchors the tongue and helps you swallow and speak.
Question 12 of 15
The bump at the front of the neck (the laryngeal prominence) is part of which cartilage?
- Cricoid cartilage
- Thyroid cartilage
- Epiglottis
- Arytenoid cartilage
Show answer
Answer: Thyroid cartilage. The thyroid cartilage. It’s usually bigger after puberty in males, because testosterone makes the larynx grow.
Question 13 of 15
Which nerve, at risk in thyroid surgery, supplies most of the muscles of the larynx?
- Accessory nerve
- Hypoglossal nerve
- Phrenic nerve
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve
Show answer
Answer: Recurrent laryngeal nerve. The recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus. Damage to one side causes a hoarse voice.
Question 14 of 15
Which nerve runs through the parotid gland?
- Glossopharyngeal nerve (IX)
- Trigeminal nerve (V)
- Facial nerve (VII)
- Vagus nerve (X)
Show answer
Answer: Facial nerve (VII). The facial nerve splits into its five branches inside the parotid, so parotid surgery risks facial weakness.
Question 15 of 15
Which cartilage forms the only complete ring around the airway?
- Cricoid cartilage
- Epiglottis
- Thyroid cartilage
- Tracheal rings
Show answer
Answer: Cricoid cartilage. The cricoid, just below the thyroid cartilage. The tracheal rings are C-shaped, open at the back where the oesophagus sits.
Want one a day? Play Anatomegaly, the daily anatomy game: five body parts, four options each, new every midnight.
Common questions
What are the parts of the ear?
The outer ear (pinna and ear canal), the middle ear (eardrum, the three ossicles malleus, incus and stapes, and the Eustachian tube) and the inner ear (the cochlea for hearing, and the vestibule and semicircular canals for balance).
What are the layers of the eye?
Three coats: the outer fibrous layer (white sclera and clear cornea), the middle vascular layer (choroid, ciliary body and iris) and the inner neural layer (retina). Inside are the lens, the watery aqueous humour at the front and the gel-like vitreous humour behind the lens.
What is the hyoid bone?
A small U-shaped bone in the front of the neck, above the larynx. It doesn’t join any other bone. Muscles of the tongue and the floor of the mouth attach to it, and it helps with swallowing and speech.
How do I learn head and neck anatomy fast?
Break it into regions (eye, ear, mouth, larynx, neck triangles), learn the cranial nerves alongside them, and use diagrams you label yourself. Clinical links help: a hoarse voice after thyroid surgery points to the recurrent laryngeal nerve.