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The human face has about 20 facial muscles, which are flat skeletal muscles that attach to different places on the skull. These muscles are responsible for two major tasks: chewing and making facial expressions. Facial muscles are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes. They run underneath the skin from the scalp down to the neck and are positioned around facial openings. The muscles of facial expression are located within the subcutaneous tissue of the face and can broadly be categorized into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of facial muscles | 20 |
| Location of facial muscles | Underneath the skin, from the scalp to the neck |
| Facial muscle groups | Orbital, nasal, oral, auricular, buccolabial, and muscles of mastication |
| Functions | Chewing, making facial expressions, opening and closing the apertures of the face |
| Types of facial muscles | Skeletal, mimetic, and masticatory |
| Nerve supply | Cranial nerve VII (facial nerve) |
| Muscle movement | Synergists help each other to produce movement, antagonists produce movement in opposite directions |
| Facial expressions | Smiling, pouting, raising eyebrows, frowning, squinting, etc. |
| Specific muscles | Frontalis, orbicularis oculi, procerus, corrugator superclii, zygomatic, risorius, depressor anguli oris, buccinator, levator anguli oris, levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, mentalis, and more |
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What You'll Learn
There are about 20 facial muscles
The human face has about 20 facial muscles, also known as craniofacial muscles, that are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles are flat and skeletal and attach to different places on the skull. They are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes, and run underneath the skin from the scalp down to the neck.
Facial muscles can be divided into two main groups: muscles of facial expression and muscles of mastication (chewing). The muscles of facial expression are located within the subcutaneous tissue of the face and are responsible for controlling facial movements and expressions. They originate from bone or fascia and insert into the skin, causing wrinkles at right angles to their action line. These muscles include the frontalis muscle, which lifts the eyebrows, and the orbicularis oculi, which closes the eyelids and squints the eye.
The muscles of mastication include the masseter, temporalis, and pterygoid muscles. The masseter muscle, for example, runs from the cheek to the side of the jaw and helps the jaw close. The lateral pterygoid, another chewing muscle, is fan-shaped and helps the jaw open.
Facial muscles are unique in that they do not cross joints, and they either open and close the apertures of the face or create facial expressions by tugging on the skin. They are supplied by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), with each nerve serving one side of the face. The facial nerve provides motor function to the face, and damage to it can result in facial paralysis on the affected side.
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Facial muscles control expressions
The human face has about 20 facial muscles, which are flat skeletal muscles that attach to different places on the skull. These muscles are responsible for two major tasks: chewing and making facial expressions. Facial muscles are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes. They run underneath the skin from the scalp down to the neck.
Facial muscles can be broadly categorized into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital group contains two muscles associated with the eye socket: the frontalis muscle, which lifts the eyebrows and makes horizontal forehead wrinkles when we are surprised, and the orbicularis oculi, a circular muscle that closes the eyelids and squints the eye. The nasal group is associated with movements of the nose and the surrounding skin. The oral group is responsible for the movements of the mouth and lips, including the orbicularis oris, the main sphincter muscle of the lips, and the buccinator, a thin, square-shaped muscle located between the mandible and maxilla.
Other facial muscles involved in making expressions include the procerus, which pulls the medial sides of the eyebrows down and together to form a frown, the corrugator superclii, which pulls the eyebrows together, and the zygomatic muscles (major and minor), which move the corners of the mouth up and outward when smiling. The risorius is also known as the "smile" muscle. The depressor anguli oris muscle moves the corner of the mouth downwards, and the levator labii superioris enables smiling or the expression of disgust.
Facial muscles are unique in that they do not cross joints and either open and close the apertures of the face or tug the skin into intricate movements that produce facial expressions. They are the only group of muscles that insert into the skin, causing wrinkles at right angles to the muscles' action line. The facial nerve provides motor function to the face, and damage to this nerve can result in facial paralysis, impacting the ability to form expressions.
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Facial muscles enable chewing
The human face has about 20 facial muscles that work together to control the parts of the face. These muscles are located anywhere behind the skin of the face, from the scalp above the forehead down to the skin on the neck. They are also found around the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes.
Facial muscles are responsible for two major tasks: chewing (or masticating) and making facial expressions. The facial muscles involved in chewing (or muscles of mastication) are the lateral pterygoid, masseter, and temporalis. The lateral pterygoid is a fan-shaped muscle that helps the jaw open, while the masseter runs from the cheek to the side of the jaw and helps the jaw close. The temporalis muscle is also involved in mastication.
The facial muscles involved in chewing are generally stronger than those involved in facial expressions. This is because they are involved in the rigorous task of breaking down food particles, which requires more force and strength.
The facial muscles are just under the skin (subcutaneous) muscles that control facial expression. They originate from the surface of the skull bone or, rarely, the fascia, and insert on the skin of the face. When they contract, the skin moves, and these muscles also cause wrinkles at right angles to the muscles' action line. The facial muscles are supplied by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), with each nerve serving one side of the face.
The facial muscles involved in chewing are an example of muscle synergists, which are muscles that "help" each other to produce a certain movement.
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Facial nerve damage causes paralysis
The human face has about 20 facial muscles that work together to control the parts of the face. These muscles are located anywhere behind the skin of the face, from the scalp above the forehead down to the skin on the neck. They are also found around the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes. Facial muscles are responsible for two major tasks: chewing and making facial expressions.
Facial nerve damage can lead to partial or total paralysis of the face. The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, has branches throughout both sides of the face and controls many muscle groups, including those in the brow, eyelid, cheek, and lips. When the facial nerve becomes damaged, the muscles it controls cease to function, leading to paralysis. This can happen due to blunt force trauma to the face or head, certain conditions such as birth defects, Bell's palsy, or a stroke, or in rare cases, a cancerous tumor located near the facial nerve.
Symptoms of facial nerve paralysis include drooping skin and involuntary facial movements, such as smiling or frowning without meaning to. The eye may also be unable to shut, causing the cornea to dry out, a condition known as exposure keratitis. The test for facial nerve paralysis involves raising the eyebrows and closing the eyelids. An electromyogram can also be used to measure the electrical impulses transmitted along nerves and muscle tissue, helping doctors evaluate weakness or paralysis.
Facial nerve damage can be treated through physical therapy, facial exercises, and surgery. An early diagnosis can significantly improve the chances of restoring muscle function.
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Facial muscles are striated skeletal muscles
The human face has about 20 facial muscles, which are striated skeletal muscles. These muscles are responsible for two major tasks: chewing (or masticating) and making facial expressions. Facial muscles are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes. They run underneath the skin, from the scalp down to the neck, and are positioned around facial openings, stretching across the skull and neck.
Facial muscles are unique in that they do not cross joints. They either open and close the apertures of the face or tug the skin into intricate movements, producing facial expressions. These muscles are thin, flat muscles innervated by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). The facial nerve provides motor function to the face, and each nerve serves one side of the face. The muscles of the face are generally divided into two groups: muscles of facial expression and muscles of mastication.
The muscles of facial expression are located within the subcutaneous tissue of the face and originate from bone or, rarely, fascia. They insert into the skin, and as they contract, they pull on the skin to exert their effects. These muscles develop from the second pharyngeal arch and migrate, taking their nerve supply with them. They can be further divided into three groups based on location: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital group contains two muscles associated with the eye socket, the nasal group is associated with movements of the nose and surrounding skin, and the oral group is responsible for movements of the mouth and lips.
The muscles of mastication include the masseter, temporalis, and pterygoid muscles. The masseter muscle runs from the cheek to the side of the jaw and helps the jaw close. The lateral pterygoid is a fan-shaped muscle that helps the jaw open.
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Frequently asked questions
Facial muscles are a group of striated skeletal muscles that control facial expressions and allow for chewing. They are located just under the skin, originating from the skull bone and inserting into the skin of the face.
The facial muscles can be broadly categorized into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital muscles control the eye socket, the nasal group controls movements of the nose and surrounding skin, and the oral group controls movements of the mouth and lips.
Facial muscles work by contracting and pulling on the skin to create facial expressions. They can also function to open and close apertures of the face, such as the eyelids and mouth. These muscles are supplied by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), with each nerve serving one side of the face.
