Final answer:
The term 'cranial fossa' describes a part of the cranial floor, of which there are three types: anterior, middle, and posterior, each conforming to the shape of the brain region it contains.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe a single, irregular shape forming part of the cranial floor is cranial fossa.
The base of the skull, known as the cranial floor, is divided into three main sections: the anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, and posterior cranial fossa. These sections are referred to as fossae (singular: fossa), meaning 'trench or ditch'. Each fossa has a unique shape and depth corresponding to the brain region it houses. For instance, the anterior cranial fossa is the most shallow and holds the frontal lobes of the brain. It is bounded by the frontal bone anteriorly and the lesser wings of the sphenoid bone posteriorly.
Located in the floor at the midline is a portion of the ethmoid bone, consisting of the crista galli and the cribriform plates, which have openings called olfactory foramina for the passage of olfactory nerve branches.