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Facial Expression Muscles Anatomy
Facial Expression Muscles Anatomy
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The muscles that control facial expression lie just under the skin in the face. They usually start on a bone or a piece of connective tissue (fascia) and attach to the skin. When they contract, they pull on the skin, creating facial movements.
All these muscles develop from the second pharyngeal arch during embryonic growth and are controlled by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII).
They can be grouped into three main categories:
Orbital group β around the eyes
Nasal group β around the nose
Oral group β around the mouth.
Orbital Group
Orbital Group
The orbital group includes the muscles around the eyes. These muscles mainly control eyelid movement and help protect the eyes from injury or dryness. These muscles protect the eyes and produce facial expressions involving the eyes, like squinting or frowning. The orbital group is supplied by branches of the facial nerve.
Orbicularis Oculi
Orbicularis Oculi
The orbicularis oculi is a circular muscle that surrounds the eye and extends into the eyelid. It has three parts: the palpebral part, which gently closes the eyelids (like blinking); the lacrimal part, which helps with tear drainage; and the orbital part, which tightly closes the eyes (like squinting).
Origin: Medial orbital margin, medial palpebral ligament, lacrimal bone.
Insertion: Skin around the orbit and eyelids.
Innervation: Temporal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve.
Corrugator Supercilii
Corrugator Supercilii
The corrugator supercilii is a small muscle located deeper and above the inner end of the eyebrow. It draws the eyebrows downward and inward, creating vertical wrinkles between them (frowning).
Origin: Medial part of the superciliary arch.
Insertion: Skin above the middle of the eyebrow.
Innervation: Temporal branches of the facial nerve.
Nasal Group
Nasal Group
The nasal group of facial muscles controls the movements of the nose and the skin around it. These muscles help shape facial expressions that involve the nose, such as flaring the nostrils, wrinkling the bridge of the nose, or lowering the eyebrows in frowning.
Like all facial expression muscles, the nasal group muscles come from the second pharyngeal arch during embryonic development and are supplied by branches of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII).
Nasalis
Nasalis
The nasalis is the largest nasal muscle and has two parts: the transverse part, which compresses the nostrils, and the alar part, which widens the nostrils.
Origin: Maxilla (upper jaw bone) near the nose.
Insertion: Cartilage and skin of the nose.
Innervation: Buccal branches of the facial nerve.
Procerus
Procerus
The procerus is a small muscle between the eyebrows. It pulls the eyebrows downward and makes horizontal wrinkles over the bridge of the nose (frowning).
Origin: Nasal bone.
Insertion: Skin of the lower forehead.
Innervation: Buccal branches of the facial nerve.
Depressor Septi Nasi
Depressor Septi Nasi
The depressor septi is a small muscle beneath the nose that works closely with the alar part of the nasalis. It helps the alar part of the nasalis muscle open the nostrils and pulls down the nasal septum to widen the nostrils.
The depressor septi is a small muscle beneath the nose that works closely with the alar part of the nasalis. It helps the alar part of the nasalis muscle open the nostrils and pulls down the nasal septum to widen the nostrils.
- Origin: Maxilla above the upper front teeth.
- Insertion: Nasal septum.
- Innervation: Buccal branches of the facial nerve.
Quick Reference Table: Muscle Name, Origin, Insertion & Innervation
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Oral Group
Oral Group
The oral group controls the movements of the mouth and lips. These muscles are essential for speech, eating, and facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, or kissing. These muscles control lip and mouth movement, important for speaking, chewing, and expressing emotion.Β
Orbicularis Oris
Orbicularis Oris
The orbicularis oris is a circular muscle that surrounds the mouth and forms most of the lips. It closes and puckers the lips (as in kissing or whistling).
Origin: Maxilla and mandible, as well as surrounding cheek muscles.
Insertion: Skin and lining of the lips.
Innervation: Buccal branches of the facial nerve.
Buccinator
Buccinator
The buccinator is a thin, flat muscle that forms the wall of the cheek. It pulls the cheeks inward against the teeth, preventing food from collecting in the cheeks while chewing. Itβs also used when blowing air or playing wind instruments.
Origin: Maxilla and mandible, pterygomandibular raphe.
Insertion: Blends with the orbicularis oris muscle.
Innervation: Buccal branches of the facial nerve.
Other Oral Muscles
Other Oral Muscles
These smaller muscles move the lips and corners of the mouth:
Upper group: risorius, zygomaticus major and minor, levator labii superioris, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator anguli oris.
Lower group: depressor anguli oris, depressor labii inferioris, mentalis.
Need a recap? Take a look at the Facial Expression Muscles anatomy notes here.
Need a recap? Take a look at the Facial Expression Muscles anatomy notes here.
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References
References
Gray, H. (2009). Anatomy of the human body, part 2 (LibriVox Volunteers, Narr.) [Audiobook]. LibriVox. https://librivox.org/anatomy-of-the-human-body-part-2-by-henry-gray/ (Original work published 1858)
J Gordon Betts, Desaix, P., Johnson, E., Johnson, J. E., Korol, O., Kruse, D., Poe, B., Wise, J., Womble, M. D., & Young, K. A. (2013). Anatomy & physiology. Openstax College, Rice University. https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology
Based on OpenStax, Anatomy and Physiology (2013), licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/1-introduction.
Content paraphrased; adaptations were made.
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