| Mental protuberance | |
|---|---|
| Mandible. Outer surface. Side view. (Mental protuberance labeled at bottom left.) | |
| Side view of the skull. (Mental protuberance visible but not labeled.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | protuberantia mentalis |
| TA98 | A02.1.15.005 |
| TA2 | 840 |
| FMA | 59430 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The symphysis of the external surface of the mandible divides below and encloses a triangular eminence, the mental protuberance, the base of which is depressed in the center but raised on either side to form the mental tubercle . The size and shape of the bones making up this structure are responsible for the size and shape of a person's chin. Synonyms of mental protuberance include mental process and protuberantia mentalis.Mental in this sense derives from Latin mentum (chin), not mens (mind), source of the more common meaning of mental.