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ramus
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Illustration of the human head and neck skeletal system in profile, showing labeled bones and structures such as the skull, mandible, hyoid bone, cervical vertebrae, and first rib, along with key ligaments and cartilage.
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ramus

anatomy
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Illustration of the human head and neck skeletal system in profile, showing labeled bones and structures such as the skull, mandible, hyoid bone, cervical vertebrae, and first rib, along with key ligaments and cartilage.
human skull and neck Bony framework of the human head and neck.

In anatomy, a ramus (Latin for "branch") refers to a part of a bone or nerve that branches off from a main structure.

The mandible, or lower jaw, has ascending parts called rami that form joints with the temporal bone, allowing for jaw movement. These rami also have a coronoid process for muscle attachment and a mandibular canal for nerves and blood vessels.1

In the nervous system, rami are also branches of spinal nerves. These include dorsal and ventral rami that carry sensory and motor fibers to various parts of the body, including muscles, joints, and skin.2

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. human skeleton - The lower jaw
  2. human nervous system - Structural components of spinal nerves

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