Why We Appear Differently
By: Isabel Butler
Introduction:
No two people, unless they are identical twins look the same. There is a reason why. The skull, in addition to protecting the brain, shapes and forms one's figure. There are many different bones that make up how humans look. One's appearance can be determined by the characteristics of his or her skull.
The Bones That Form Our Appearance:
The skull has many different bones that form how people look. Eight bones form the ear ossicles and house the brain. Then fourteen more bones form the front face, nose, jaw, orbits, and the roof of the mouth. Three more bones make the inner ear ossicles. A frontal bone forms the forehead and the roof of the orbits. Two parietal bones make up the roof and upper sides of the skull. Then two temporal bones make the lower sides of the skull and house the inner ear ossicles. Two maxillary bones form much of the nose, orbits, roof of the mouth, and upper jaw. The malar bones form the cheeks (Farr 1).
How Our Facial Bones Change As We Grow Up:
As humans grow older, their facial bones change how they appear. The eye sockets enlarge and the angle of the bones beneath the eyebrows decreases. This could cause droopy eyelids as well as frown lines on the forehead and corners of the eye. The eye sockets become wider and longer in both men and women. Aging also affects the bones in the middle part of the face; for example, researchers found reductions in the angles of the brow, nose, and upper jaw bones. Although these changes happen to both men and women, they occur at different times. For women they occur between young (20-40) and middle age (41-64), but for men it is between middle age (41-64) and old age (65 and up) (Face Bones 1).
Why Do Humans Look Different:
Not only do the skulls of men and women change at different times, they also appear differently, too. Men generally have heavier and more massive skulls than women. The lower jaw of a man's skull is square with an angle of about 90 degrees. In contrast, the lower jaw of a woman's skull is sloped with an angle greater than 90 degrees. Usually men have thicker bones than women, but women have smoother facial bones than men. The eye orbits of a woman's skull are rounder and larger. In addition, women display rounder and more upright foreheads. On the other hand, men have eye orbits that are somewhat square shaped and foreheads that are more sloped (Yash 1).
Conclusion:
Most people think that the skull just provides protection for the brain, but the skull also forms one's appearance. The skull is made of many bones that come together and form how humans look. As people grow older, they change and so do their facial bones. Humans look different because of the shapes and qualities of the skull. The skull holds the key to determining the appearance of the human face.
Work Cited:
Farr, Gray. "The Human Skull." Becomehealthynow.com. Become Healthy Now, 10 Dec. 2011. Web. 6 Jan. 2014.
Staff, MyHealthyNewsDaily. "Our Face Bones Change Shape as We Age." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
Yash. "Difference Between Male and Female Skulls." Differencebetween.com. Difference Between, 10 Dec. 2013. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.