Unveiling the Anatomy: What is the purpose of the temple on your head?

September 22, 2025 •

4 min read

Did you know the temple is the most fragile part of your skull? This critical region, known as the pterion, is a point of vulnerability that protects a vital part of your brain. Uncover the essential functions and answer the question: What is the purpose of the temple on your head?

Quick Summary

The temple serves as a vital junction protecting the temporal lobe of the brain, a key area for processing senses, memory, language, and emotion. It also provides the attachment point for the temporalis muscle, crucial for chewing, and houses important blood vessels like the middle meningeal artery.

Key Points

Fragile Junction: The temple marks the pterion, a vulnerable point where four skull bones converge.
Temporal Lobe Protection: Its primary purpose is to protect the temporal lobe, a vital brain region responsible for memory, language, and emotion.
Chewing Function: It provides an attachment point for the temporalis muscle, which is essential for chewing.
Vascular Vulnerability: A critical artery, the middle meningeal artery, runs beneath this thin bone, posing a serious risk of hemorrhage if injured.
Aging Sign: Temporal hollowing is a common sign of aging caused by the shrinking of fat and muscle tissue in the area.
Headache Origin: Muscle tension and inflammation in the temple are common causes of tension headaches and can be involved in migraines.

The Anatomical Junction: A Vulnerable Nexus

The temple is a complex and sensitive area of the skull, located on the side of the head behind the eye and between the forehead and ear. At its core is a critical juncture where four skull bones—the frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid—fuse together. This intersection is called the pterion, and it's the thinnest and most vulnerable point of the cranial vault. Unlike the thick, protective bone found in other areas of the head, the pterion offers relatively little resistance to force. This anatomical weakness means that even a moderate blow to the temple can have severe, and potentially fatal, consequences due to the structures it houses.

Protecting the Temporal Lobe

The most significant purpose of the temple is to protect the underlying temporal lobe of the brain. The temporal lobe is essential for a wide array of cognitive functions that we use every day. Damage to this area can lead to a variety of neurological issues. Some of its key responsibilities include:

Memory: It contains the hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped structure critical for forming new memories and retrieving existing ones. Injuries to the temple can cause both short-term and long-term memory impairment.
Language: The temporal lobe, especially the left one in most right-handed individuals, is home to Wernicke's area, which is vital for understanding spoken and written language.
Senses: It helps process sensory input, particularly hearing and visual recognition. For instance, it allows you to recognize a familiar face or understand the meaning of words.
Emotions: The amygdala, located deep within the temporal lobe, plays a major role in processing emotions like fear, anxiety, and pleasure.

This crucial neurological real estate explains why the thin bone of the temple is such a dangerous area to injure. The risk of seizures or long-term cognitive impairment is a serious concern after significant trauma to this area.

The Role of Muscles and Mastication

Beyond its protective function for the brain, the temple also serves as an important anchor for the musculature involved in chewing. The temporalis muscle covers this area, attaching to the temporal bone and extending down to the jaw. When you clench or grind your teeth, you can often feel this muscle activate on the side of your head. This muscular function is essential for mastication (the process of chewing food) and contributes to the overall structure and movement of the jaw. Over time, factors like stress and teeth grinding (bruxism) can cause this muscle to tighten, leading to common types of headaches in the temple region.

Vascular and Nervous Networks

The temple is also a hub for a critical network of blood vessels and nerves. The superficial temporal artery, a branch of the external carotid artery, runs vertically along the side of the head and supplies blood to the face and scalp. It's the pulse you can sometimes feel in your temples. More dangerously, the middle meningeal artery runs directly underneath the pterion. A fracture at the pterion can sever this artery, leading to an epidural hematoma—a severe bleed between the skull and the protective lining of the brain, which is a life-threatening medical emergency. This network of vasculature and nerves further emphasizes why this area, despite its seemingly simple appearance, is so anatomically complex.

Skull Strength and Temple Fragility


Feature	Temple (Pterion)	Forehead (Frontal Bone)	Back of Head (Occipital Bone)
Bone Thickness	Thinnest	Thick	Thickest
Vulnerability	Highest	Moderate	Moderate to Low
Protected Structure	Temporal Lobe, Middle Meningeal Artery	Frontal Lobe	Visual Cortex, Cerebellum
Risk of Internal Bleed	High	Low	Low
Muscular Attachment	Temporalis Muscle	Some facial muscles	Neck muscles

The Appearance of Temple Hollowing

As we age, or experience significant weight loss, a condition known as temporal hollowing or temporal atrophy can occur. This happens when the underlying temporal fat pads and sometimes the temporalis muscle itself shrink. This can result in a gaunt, skeletal appearance, and contributes to the overall aging process of the face. While not a health crisis, it demonstrates how integral the soft tissues in this region are to our facial structure and aesthetic. Some aesthetic treatments focus on addressing this volume loss with dermal fillers.

How to Protect Your Temples

Protecting this vulnerable area is crucial for maintaining long-term health. Consider these steps:

Wear Protective Headgear: When participating in contact sports like hockey, football, or boxing, always use properly fitted helmets and head protection. This is the single most effective way to prevent severe injury.
Practice Relaxation Techniques: Chronic tension headaches, which can concentrate in the temples, are often stress-related. Mindfulness, meditation, and stretching can help relax the temporalis muscle.
Manage Bruxism: If you grind your teeth, consider a nightguard to reduce strain on the jaw muscles and subsequent tension in the temples.
Be Aware of Head Injury Symptoms: If you experience a blow to the head, especially the temple, monitor for symptoms like severe headache, dizziness, memory loss, or loss of consciousness and seek medical attention immediately.

Understanding Common Temple-Related Issues

Headaches: The temple is a very common location for tension headaches and migraines due to muscle tension and nerve activity in the region.
Temporal Arteritis: This condition, also called giant cell arteritis, is an inflammation of the temporal arteries, leading to throbbing headaches and potentially permanent vision loss if left untreated.

Conclusion: More Than Meets the Eye

In conclusion, the purpose of the temple on your head extends far beyond its visible location. It is a fragile yet vital anatomical nexus, protecting the temporal lobe of the brain while also facilitating critical functions like chewing. From housing a powerful muscle to protecting delicate vascular structures, this area is a testament to the intricate and interdependent systems of the human body. Understanding its function is key to appreciating its importance and protecting your overall health. For more information on cranial anatomy, please consult an authoritative medical resource like Cleveland Clinic's Temporal Lobe overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

The temple, or pterion, is the weakest part of the skull because it is a point where four different bones—the frontal, parietal, temporal, and sphenoid—meet and fuse. This makes the bone relatively thinner and more vulnerable to fractures compared to other areas.

A blow to the temple can be extremely dangerous. It can cause a fracture at the pterion, potentially rupturing the middle meningeal artery located just beneath it. This can lead to an epidural hematoma, a life-threatening brain bleed. It can also cause damage to the underlying temporal lobe.

Yes, injuries to the temple can cause memory loss. The temporal lobe, which lies beneath the temple, contains the hippocampus, a brain structure vital for memory formation and retrieval. Damage to this area can result in both short-term and long-term memory problems.

Headaches in the temple area are very common and can have several causes. Tension headaches often originate from tight temporalis muscles, while migraines frequently cause throbbing pain in the temples. Inflammation of the arteries, as seen in temporal arteritis, can also cause intense pain.

The pulse you feel in your temple comes from the superficial temporal artery, which is a major artery that runs just beneath the skin in that area. It's completely normal to feel this pulse, and medical professionals can sometimes use it to take a patient's pulse.

Temporal hollowing, or temporal atrophy, is a condition where the temples appear sunken or hollowed out. It is often a sign of the natural aging process or can be a result of significant weight loss, caused by the reduction of fat and muscle in the area.

The temporalis muscle is a fan-shaped muscle located at the temple. It is one of the muscles responsible for mastication, or chewing. It attaches to the temporal bone and helps to close the jaw and retract the mandible.