01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Between your eyebrows and your hairline.
02 / Structure & organization
The forehead overlies the frontal bone and the frontal belly of the occipitofrontalis muscle. This muscle connects to a broad tendon sheet across the scalp. Its contraction raises the eyebrows and creates horizontal skin folds.
03 / Function
The frontal bone lies underneath it.
04 / Mechanism
Skin, connective tissue and a thin layer of muscle cover the forehead bone. When forehead muscles contract, your eyebrows rise and the skin folds. This is one way your face can show surprise.
Part of a bigger picture
The forehead belongs in our head & face collection. Explore the nearby parts to see how this area of the body fits together.
Explore head & face →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
Superficial sensory branches reach this region through the supraorbital and supratrochlear areas. The brain lies deeper, separated from the surface by bone and protective membranes.
Check your understanding
Locate the forehead in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.