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The human face has about 20 facial muscles on each side, which are essential for chewing, making facial expressions, and performing other important functions. These muscles are located within the subcutaneous tissue of the face, originating from bone or fascia and inserting onto the skin. They are typically paired, with one muscle on the left side of the face and another on the right. Facial muscles can be broadly categorized into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital muscles control the movements of the eyelids, the nasal muscles control the movements of the nose and surrounding skin, and the oral muscles control the movements of the mouth and lips.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Underneath the skin of the face and scalp, from the forehead to the neck |
| Number of Facial Muscles | 20 flat skeletal muscles, with around 30 muscles on each side of the face |
| Functions | Chewing, making facial expressions, smiling, talking, singing, whistling, etc. |
| Types | Facial expression (mimetic) muscles and mastication muscles |
| Innervation | Cranial nerve VII (facial nerve) |
| Blood Supply | Facial artery |
| Muscle Groups | Orbital, nasal, oral, auricular, buccolabial, and platysma |
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What You'll Learn
- 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 are part of the skeletal system, containing elastic fibres that allow them to contract
- There are about 20-30 facial muscles on each side of the face
- Facial muscles are responsible for chewing and making facial expressions
Facial muscles are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose and eyes
The human face has around 30 muscles on each side, which are responsible for two major tasks: chewing (also called 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. They are positioned around facial openings and stretch across the skull and neck.
The facial muscles can be categorized into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital group of facial muscles contains two muscles associated with the eye socket. These muscles control the movements of the eyelids, helping to protect the cornea from damage. The orbicularis oculi muscle surrounds the eye socket and extends into the eyelid, and has three distinct parts: palpebral, lacrimal, and orbital. The palpebral part gently closes the eyelids, the lacrimal part is involved in the drainage of tears, and the orbital part tightly closes the eyelids.
The nasal group of facial muscles is associated with movements of the nose and the skin surrounding it. The nasal group includes the procerus muscle, which is a superficial midline muscle that causes horizontal rhytides at the nasal root.
The oral group of facial muscles is responsible for the movements of the mouth and lips. They are required for singing and whistling and add emphasis to vocal communication. The orbicularis oris is the main sphincter muscle of the lips. It arises from the maxilla and other muscles of the cheek and inserts onto the skin and mucous membrane of the lips. The buccinator muscle is a thin, square-shaped muscle located between the mandible and maxilla, deep within the other muscles of the face. It helps to puff out the cheeks and prevent food from passing to the outer surface of the teeth during chewing.
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They run underneath the skin, from the scalp down to the neck
The human face possesses around 30 muscles on each side, which are responsible for two major tasks: chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles are located just underneath the skin, running from the scalp down to the neck. They are positioned around facial openings such as the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears, and stretch across the skull and neck.
Facial muscles, also called craniofacial muscles, are a group of about 20 flat skeletal muscles. They are essential for chewing, making facial expressions, and performing other tasks. For example, you use your facial muscles when you talk or laugh. They originate from the bones or fibrous structures of the skull and radiate to insert on the skin. They are the only muscles that attach to the dermis. When they contract, the skin moves, and they cause wrinkles at right angles to their action line.
The muscles of facial expression can be categorised into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital group contains two muscles associated with the eye socket, which control the movements of the eyelids. The nasal group is associated with movements of the nose and the skin surrounding it. The oral group is responsible for the movements of the mouth and lips, which are required for singing and whistling, and add emphasis to vocal communication.
The auricular muscles are around the ears and allow some people to move their ears. The buccolabial muscles are in and around the mouth, including the buccinator, a thin muscle in the cheek that holds it toward the teeth. The depressor anguli oris is on the side of the chin and works with other muscles to produce a frown. The mentalis is an unpaired chin muscle, allowing the lower lip to protrude.
The facial muscles are innervated by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) and vascularised by the facial artery. They are supplied by the facial nerve, which serves one side of the face.
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Facial muscles are part of the skeletal system, containing elastic fibres that allow them to contract
The human face has around 30 muscles on each side, which are part of the skeletal system. These muscles are also called craniofacial muscles and are flat and striated. They are located anywhere behind the skin of the face, from the scalp above the forehead down to the neck. They are also found around the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes.
Facial muscles are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. They originate from bones or fibrous structures of the skull and insert into the skin. They are supplied by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) and vascularized by the facial artery. The facial nerve is responsible for controlling facial expression muscles, while the trigeminal nerve's mandibular division innervates the muscles used for chewing.
The facial muscles can be categorized into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital group includes the orbicularis oculi muscle, which surrounds the eye socket and extends into the eyelid. It has three parts: palpebral, lacrimal, and orbital, each with distinct functions. The corrugator supercilii is another muscle in this group, located behind the orbicularis oculi. The nasal group is associated with movements of the nose and the surrounding skin. The oral group includes the orbicularis oris, buccinator, and several smaller muscles. These muscles control the movements of the mouth and lips and are essential for singing, whistling, and vocal communication.
The facial muscles contain elastic fibres that allow them to contract and relax, resulting in various facial expressions. These muscles work together to control different parts of the face, such as smiling, frowning, or raising eyebrows. The contraction of these muscles also causes wrinkles at right angles to the muscles' action line.
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There are about 20-30 facial muscles on each side of the face
The human face has about 20 to 30 skeletal muscles on each side, with most sources estimating around 30. These muscles, also called craniofacial muscles, lie just under the skin of the face and scalp. They are responsible for two major tasks: chewing (or mastication) 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. These muscles are typically paired, meaning there is one on the left side of the face and one on the right side. They can be further divided into groups based on their location on the face.
The auricular muscles, for example, are found around the ears and allow some people to move their ears. The buccolabial or buccal muscles are in and around the mouth, with the buccinator muscle helping to puff out the cheeks and prevent food from passing to the outer surface of the teeth during chewing. The orbicularis oris is a circular composite muscle that surrounds the mouth and forms the majority of the lips. It is responsible for closing the lips to narrow the oral opening.
The facial muscles involved in chewing include the lateral pterygoid, a fan-shaped muscle that helps the jaw open, and the masseter, which runs from the cheek to the side of the jaw and helps the jaw close. The muscles of facial expression outnumber the mastication muscles. These muscles pull on the skin to exert their effects and are innervated by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII).
The orbital group of facial muscles contains two muscles associated with the eye socket and are responsible for movements of the eyelids, which protect the cornea from damage. The nasal group of facial muscles is associated with movements of the nose and the surrounding skin. The oral group of facial muscles controls the movements of the mouth and lips and is required for singing, whistling, and adding emphasis to vocal communication.
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Facial muscles are responsible for chewing and making facial expressions
The human face has about 20 skeletal muscles that are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles are located anywhere behind the skin of your face, from your scalp to your neck. They are typically paired, meaning there is one on the left side of your face and one on the right side.
Facial muscles are involved in two major tasks: chewing (also called masticating) and making facial expressions. The muscles of mastication are a group of muscles that enhance the process of eating by assisting in grinding food and approximating the teeth. The four main muscles of mastication are the temporalis, medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid, and masseter muscles. They attach to the rami of the mandible and function to move the jaw. The mandibular movements of mastication include elevation, depression, protrusion, retraction, and side-to-side movement.
The masseter muscle, for example, runs from the cheek to the side of the jaw and helps the jaw close. The buccinator, a facial expression muscle, also helps in mastication by keeping food pushed back within the oral cavity. It is a thin muscle in the cheek that holds it toward the teeth.
The muscles that control facial expressions can be divided into groups based on their location on the face. For example, the auricular muscles are around the ears and allow some people to move their ears. The buccolabial muscles, on the other hand, are in and around the mouth. These muscles include the depressor anguli oris, which works with other muscles to produce a frown, and the levator labii superioris, which enables smiling or showing disgust.
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Frequently asked questions
The facial muscles are located just under the skin of the face and scalp, from the forehead to the neck. They are found around facial openings, such as the mouth, eyes, nose, and ears, and stretch across the skull and neck.
The facial muscles can be categorised into three groups: orbital, nasal, and oral. The orbital muscles control the movements of the eyelids, the nasal muscles control movements of the nose and surrounding skin, and the oral muscles control movements of the mouth and lips.
The two major functions of the facial muscles are chewing and making facial expressions. They are also responsible for tasks such as smiling, frowning, singing, and whistling.
