What is the medical term for the bony sockets that house the eyes?

The term "orbits" refers specifically to the bony structures that form the sockets for the eyes. Each orbit is a complex three-dimensional shape made up of several bones, including parts of the frontal bone, maxilla, zygomatic bone, sphenoid, ethmoid, and lacrimal bone. The orbits not only protect the eyes but also provide attachment sites for the eye muscles, contributing to eye movement.

Understanding the other terms is helpful for context: "sphenoid" refers to a specific bone located at the base of the skull contributing to the orbit's structure but does not represent the entire bony socket itself. Similarly, "nasals" refers to the bones that form the bridge of the nose and are not related to the eye sockets. "Maxilla" refers to the upper jawbone, which is part of the orbit’s composition, but, like the sphenoid, it does not encompass the complete structure of the orbits. Thus, the best choice to define the bony sockets housing the eyes is "orbits."