Bone, occipital

The bone forming the back of the skull — the rear and the rear bottom of the skull. The occipital bone encloses a large oval hole, the foramen magnum, the opening through which the spinal cord becomes continuous with the brain. The occipital bone articulates (joins) with the parietal and temporal bones of the skull, with the sphenoid bone in front of it and with the atlas beneath it. (The atlas is the first cervical [neck] vertebra and is named for Atlas, the Titan in Greek mythology who supported the earth on his shoulders.) The word "occipital" comes from Latin meaning the part of the head opposite the front.