Logan Steele
The human body is a complex system of muscles, which can be broadly classified into two types: axial and appendicular. Axial muscles are those that move the joints in the axial skeleton, which includes the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body. They are involved in a range of functions, from controlling facial expressions to facilitating swallowing and speech. The axial muscles are also responsible for the movement of the vertebral column and include muscles of the face, head, neck, and back. These muscles can be further categorized based on their location, function, or both.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | Axial muscles or appendicular muscles |
| Location | Bones in the head, neck, and core of the body |
| Function | Based on location, function, or both |
| Examples | Muscles of the face, head, neck, and vertebral column |
| Facial Expression | Muscles in the face create expressions by inserting into the skin rather than onto bone |
| Eye Movement | Extrinsic eye muscles originate outside the eye and insert onto the outer surface of the eyeball |
| Mastication | Muscles that insert into the mandible are used for chewing and speaking |
| Tongue | Both extrinsic and intrinsic; allow complex movements in all three planes |
| Back and Neck | Move the vertebral column; divided into multiple groups, including the erector spinae group |
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What You'll Learn
Axial muscles of the head and neck
The axial muscles are those that originate on the axial skeleton, namely the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body. The muscles of the head and neck are all axial.
The muscles of the anterior neck facilitate swallowing and speech, stabilize the hyoid bone, and position the larynx. The suprahyoid muscles pull up, and the strap-like infrahyoid muscles pull down. The omohyoid muscle, which has superior and inferior bellies, depresses the hyoid bone in conjunction with the sternohyoid and thyrohyoid muscles. The thyrohyoid muscle also elevates the larynx's thyroid cartilage, whereas the sternothyroid depresses it to create different tones of voice. The head, attached to the top of the vertebral column, is balanced, moved, and rotated by the neck muscles. When these muscles act unilaterally, the head rotates, and when they contract bilaterally, the head flexes or extends. The major muscle that laterally flexes and rotates the head is the sternocleidomastoid.
The muscles of the back and neck that move the vertebral column are complex and overlapping, and can be divided into five groups: the splenius group, the erector spinae, the transversospinales, the segmental muscles, and the scalenes. The splenius group includes the splenius capitis and the splenius cervicis. The erector spinae has three subgroups: the iliocostalis group, the longissimus group, and the spinalis group. The iliocostalis group includes the iliocostalis cervicis, the iliocostalis thoracis, and the iliocostalis lumborum. The longissimus group includes the longissimus capitis, the longissimus cervicis, and the longissimus thoracis. The spinalis group includes the spinalis capitis, the spinalis cervicis, and the spinalis thoracis. The transversospinales include the semispinalis capitis, semispinalis cervicis, semispinalis thoracis, multifidus, and rotatores. The segmental muscles include the interspinales and intertransversarii. The scalenes include the anterior scalene, middle scalene, and posterior scalene.
The muscles in the face create facial expressions by inserting into the skin rather than onto bone. The orbicularis oris is a circular muscle that moves the lips, and the orbicularis oculi is a circular muscle that closes the eye. The occipitofrontalis muscle moves up the scalp and eyebrows. The muscle has a frontal belly and an occipital belly. The corrugator supercilii is the prime mover of the eyebrows. The buccinator muscle, which makes up a large portion of the face, compresses the cheek and allows for actions such as whistling, blowing, and sucking, and it also contributes to the action of chewing.
Tongue muscles are both extrinsic and intrinsic. The genioglossus depresses the tongue and moves it anteriorly; the styloglossus lifts the tongue and retracts it; the palatoglossus elevates the back of the tongue; and the hyoglossus depresses and flattens it.
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Axial muscles of the face
Axial muscles are those that originate on the axial skeleton, which includes the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body. They are grouped based on location, function, or both. The axial muscles of the face are unique in that they create facial expressions by inserting into the skin rather than onto bone.
The muscles of the face that are responsible for facial expressions include the corrugator supercilii, which is the prime mover of the eyebrows. By raising or lowering your eyebrows, you can feel the action of this muscle at the point of the bridge of your nose. The orbicularis oculi is a circular muscle that closes the eye, and the orbicularis oris is a circular muscle that moves the lips. The occipitofrontalis muscle moves up the scalp and eyebrows and has a frontal belly and an occipital belly, with no muscle across the top of the head. The buccinator muscle makes up a large portion of the face and compresses the cheek, allowing actions such as whistling, blowing, and sucking, as well as contributing to the action of chewing.
The muscles that move the eyeballs are called extrinsic eye muscles, and they originate outside the eye, inserting onto the outer surface of the white of the eye. These muscles are responsible for eyeball movement and are located inside the eye socket, making them invisible on the visible eyeball. Tongue muscles, on the other hand, can be both extrinsic and intrinsic. They create complex movements that allow the tongue to move in all three planes, as well as flatten and curl, facilitating actions such as directing food during chewing and swallowing. They also play a role in speech, with the tongue facilitating complex speech patterns and sounds.
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Axial muscles of the back
Muscles are either axial or appendicular, depending on the location of the joints they move. Axial muscles originate on the axial skeleton (the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body) and move the joints in the axial skeleton. They are grouped based on location, function, or both.
The axial muscles of the back are part of the posterior muscles of the neck and back, which work to stabilize and move the vertebral column. Some of these muscles also move the head. They are arranged into two main groups based on their depth and function: the transversospinalis group and the erector spinae group. The erector spinae group forms the majority of the muscle mass of the back and is the primary extensor of the vertebral column. It controls flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation of the vertebral column, and maintains the lumbar curve. The erector spinae comprise the iliocostalis (laterally placed) group, the longissimus (intermediately placed) group, and the spinalis (medially placed) group. The splenius muscles originate at the midline and run laterally and superiorly to their insertions. From the sides and the back of the neck, the splenius capitis inserts onto the head region, and the splenius cervicis extends onto the cervical region. These muscles can extend the head, laterally flex it, and rotate it.
The axial muscles of the back are distinct from the muscles of the face, which create facial expressions by inserting into the skin rather than onto bone. The orbicularis oris, for example, is a circular muscle that moves the lips. The orbicularis oculi is a circular muscle that closes the eye. The occipitofrontalis muscle moves up the scalp and eyebrows. The corrugator supercilii is the prime mover of the eyebrows.
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Axial muscles of the tongue
Muscles are classified as either axial or appendicular, depending on the location of the joints they move. Axial muscles are those that move the joints in the axial skeleton, which includes the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body. The tongue muscles are both extrinsic and intrinsic. They create complex movements that allow the tongue to move in all three planes as well as flatten and curl. These movements are used for directing food during chewing and swallowing.
The extrinsic muscles all include the word root glossus (glossus = "tongue"), and the muscle names are derived from where the muscle originates. The genioglossus (genio = "chin") originates on the mandible and allows the tongue to move downward and forward. The styloglossus originates on the styloid bone, and allows upward and backward motion. The hyoglossus originates on the hyoid bone to move the tongue downward and flatten it. The palatoglossus elevates the back of the tongue.
The intrinsic muscles lie entirely within the tongue and alter the shape of the tongue for talking and swallowing. Four paired intrinsic muscles of the tongue originate and insert within the tongue, running along its length. These muscles alter the shape of the tongue by lengthening and shortening it, curling and uncurling its apex and edges, and flattening and rounding its surface. The intrinsic muscles of the tongue are involved primarily in changing the shape of the tongue, which is essential for speaking.
The tongue moves the food around the mouth with the help of the buccinator muscle, mixes it with saliva, and helps to separate undesired particles. It also enables the formation of the food bolus in the oral preparatory phase of swallowing. It also takes part in the oral phase of swallowing by elevating and sweeping posteriorly to propel the food bolus past the anterior tonsillar pillar, triggering the swallowing reflex.
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Axial muscles of the eyes
Axial muscles are those that originate on the axial skeleton, which includes the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body. They are grouped based on location, function, or both. Some axial muscles cross over to the appendicular skeleton, which includes the bones that make up the body's limbs.
The axial muscles of the eyes, also known as the extrinsic eye muscles, are responsible for eye movements and play a crucial role in our visual system. These muscles originate outside the eyeball, on the skull, and insert onto the outer surface of the eyeball, specifically the white part of the eye called the sclera. This insertion allows for the movement of the eyeball within its socket, enabling a wide range of motions such as looking up, down, and side to side.
The extrinsic eye muscles include six muscles: the superior rectus, inferior rectus, medial rectus, lateral rectus, superior oblique, and inferior oblique. These muscles work together to provide a full range of motion for the eyes. For example, the medial rectus muscle adducts the eyeball (moves it towards the nose), while the lateral rectus muscle abducts the eyeball (moves it away from the nose). The superior rectus and inferior rectus muscles are responsible for elevating and depressing the eyeball, respectively, allowing us to look up and down.
The coordination of these extrinsic eye muscles is crucial for proper eye alignment and binocular vision. When we focus on an object, both eyes must turn inward (convergence) or outward (divergence) to the same degree, and any imbalance in the coordination of these muscles can lead to conditions such as strabismus (crossed eyes) or diplopia (double vision).
In summary, the axial muscles of the eyes, or the extrinsic eye muscles, play a vital role in eye movement and coordination, ensuring our visual system functions properly and allowing us to focus on objects accurately.
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Frequently asked questions
Axial muscles are muscles that move joints in the axial skeleton, which includes the bones in the head, neck, and core of the body. They are grouped based on location, function, or both.
The muscles of the head, neck, and face are all axial muscles. For example, the muscles in the face create facial expressions by inserting into the skin rather than the bone. The muscles of the back and neck, such as the erector spinae group, also fall under the category of axial muscles.
Axial muscles differ from appendicular muscles in their location and the joints they move. While axial muscles move joints in the axial skeleton, appendicular muscles originate on the bones that make up the body's limbs, such as the arms and legs.
