Facial Expression Muscles
Anatomy Terms
- Clavicle
- Clavicular Head of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
- Depressor Anguli Oris Muscle
- Depressor Labii Inferioris Muscle
- Eye
- Frontal Belly of Epicranius Muscle (Frontalis Muscle)
- Galea Aponeurotica
- Hyoid Bone
- Levator Labii Superioris Alaeque Nasi Muscle
- Levator Labii Superioris Muscle
- Levator Scapulae Muscle
- Masseter Muscle
- Medial Rectus Muscle
- Mentalis Muscle
- Muscles of the Eye
- Muscles of the Tongue
- Nasalis Muscle
- Occipital Belly of Epicranius Muscle (Occipitalis Muscle)
- Omohyoid Muscle
- Orbicularis Oculi Muscle
- Orbicularis Oris Muscle
- Platysma Muscle
- Risorius Muscle
- Scalene Muscles
- Scapula
- Semispinalis Capitis Muscle
- Skull
- Spine
- Splenius Capitis Muscle
- Sternal Head of Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
- Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
- Sternohyoid Muscle
- Sternum
- Teeth
- Temporalis Muscle
- Trapezius Muscle
- True Ribs
- Zygomaticus Major Muscle
- Zygomaticus Minor Muscle
Change Anatomical System
Change View Angle
Full Facial Expression Muscles Description
[Continued from above] . . . different.
Finer musculature dominates the head, including muscles that give the face its infinite expressiveness (a smile uses 17 muscles, a frown uses 43), including muscles over the top of the cranium.
The occipitofrontalis muscle assists with movements of the scalp, for example furrowing or raising the brows. The nasalis, depressor septi nasi, and procerus, muscles allow the nose to crinkle or the nostrils to flare by controlling the muscles in the nose. The muscle that helps the eyes blink and the eyelids to fall down is the orbicularis oculi muscle. The corrugator supercilii muscle helps push the eyebrows down so that the face looks unhappy. (It can be found above the brows.)
The orbicularis oris controls the lips. This muscle allows the lips to pucker as well as close. The risorius is also a mouth muscle and helps create a smile as it tugs at the mouth’s corners. The zygomaticus minor and major are smiling muscles, which are in the lip area.
There are many other facial muscles. Some of these include the depressor labii inferioris, mentalis, levator labii superioris, levator anguli oris, depressor anguli oris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, buccinator, temporoparietalis muscle, depressor supercilii, and the auricular muscles (anterior, superior, and posterior).