mandible , in anatomy, the movable lower jaw, consisting of a single bone or of completely fused bones in humans and other mammals. In birds, the mandible constitutes either the upper or the lower segment of the bill, and in invertebrates it is any of the various mouthparts that holds or bites food materials, including either of the paired mouth appendages of an arthropod that form the biting jaws. In humans, the mandible is the only mobile bone of the skull (other than the tiny bones of the ... The mandible bone's function is to open and close the mouth for chewing and speech. It also helps protect the organs of the face and hold the lower set of teeth in place. The mandible forms a joint on either side with the temporal bone: the temporomandibular joint. Health issues that arise with this ... The mandible (or lower jawbone, Latin: mandibula) is the only movable bone of the skull and the largest, strongest facial bone.
