The mandible (lower jaw) is the largest, strongest and lowest bone of the human face, forming the lower jaw, to which the lower teeth are fixed and move during biting movements.
The mandible is the largest, strongest and lowest positioned of the human facial bones. It forms the lower jaw and anchors it to the face. It is the only movable bone in the skull (disregarding the bones of the middle ear), and it is attached to the temporal bone by the temporomandibular joint.
This bone is formed by the fusion of the right and left mandibular middle prominences, the median joint of the mandible, which are connected by fibrocartilage and are fused together in early childhood. This is one of its anatomical weak points and is prone to injury when exposed to external forces.
The role of the mandible is mainly to maintain wide and flat teeth for chewing food.