The lower jaw bone, which is the largest and strongest facial bone and the only movable bone of the skull. It holds the lower teeth and forms the lower part of the mouth, articulating with the temporal bones via the temporomandibular joints.
From Latin 'mandibula' meaning jaw, from 'mandere' (to chew). The root relates to mastication and the mechanical function of this bone in food processing.
Your mandible is the strongest bone in your face and can generate bite forces up to 200 pounds per square inch - that's why jaw fractures often require surgical repair with metal plates! It's also the only skull bone that moves, making speech and eating possible through its complex hinge-and-slide action at the TMJ.
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