Mandible (Lower Jaw)

skeleton · anatomy · jaw · bones

Your movable jaw. The mandible is the only bone in your skull that can move around freely. Your upper jaw (the maxilla) stays still, but your mandible swings down and side to side so you can chew, talk, and yawn.

Home for your teeth. Your mandible holds your lower teeth firmly in place in sockets along its edge. It's shaped like a thick horseshoe and has a strong, rounded chin at the front.

All vertebrates have one. Nearly every animal with a backbone, from sharks to lions to you, has a mandible. It's one of the oldest bones in the animal kingdom because jaws were a huge advantage for eating.

Super strong bone. Your mandible is one of the hardest bones in your whole body because it has to handle biting forces. When you chew, your mandible can push with incredible power without breaking.