Final answer:
The skull's facial structure comprises fourteen distinct bones which give shape to facial features, form the nasal cavity, support teeth, and enclose the eyeballs. These bones are separate from the cranial bones that encase and protect the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The skull's facial structure is a key part of the human skeletal system that includes various bones to support and give shape to the face. The facial bones are responsible for forming the nasal cavity, enclosing the eyeballs, and supporting the teeth within the upper and lower jaws. These bones include the maxillae, palatine, nasal, zygomatic, lacrimal, vomer, inferior nasal conchae, and mandible. Together, they create the framework for the facial features, and they are distinct from the cranial bones, which include the frontal bone, two parietal bones, two temporal bones, occipital bone, sphenoid bone, and the ethmoid bone. The cranial bones protect the brain and provide an attachment site for the muscles of the head and neck.
On the anterior view of the skull, the facial bones dominate, featuring the openings for the orbits and the nasal cavity. The facial structure of the skull is complex, consisting of fourteen bones that also contribute to the upper and lower jaws with their respective teeth.