Structure and Innervation
- Masseter (composed of superficial and deep head)
- Temporalis (sphenomandibularis considered part of temporalis by some sources)
- Medial pterygoid
- Lateral pterygoid
- Mandible connected to temporal bone via temporomandibular joint
- Muscles of mastication innervated by trigeminal nerve (CN V)
- Specifically innervated by mandibular branch (CN V)
- Trigeminal nerve is both sensory and motor
Development
- Muscles of mastication and facial expression have different embryological origins
- Muscles of mastication originate from first pharyngeal arch
Function
- Mandible is the only bone that moves during mastication and talking
- Four primary muscles of mastication participate in mastication
- Other muscles like tongue and cheeks also assist in the process
External Links
- Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muscles of mastication
- Masticatory Muscles at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
- Link to a lecture on infratemporal fossa anatomy
- Articles with imported Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 text
- Articles with TA98 identifiers
There are four classical muscles of mastication. During mastication, three muscles of mastication (musculi masticatorii) are responsible for adduction of the jaw, and one (the lateral pterygoid) helps to abduct it. All four move the jaw laterally. Other muscles, usually associated with the hyoid, such as the mylohyoid muscle, are responsible for opening the jaw in addition to the lateral pterygoid.
| Muscles of mastication | |
|---|---|
 Mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve. | |
| Details | |
| Nerve | mandibular nerve |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | musculi masticatorii |
| MeSH | D008410 |
| TA98 | A04.1.04.001 |
| TA2 | 2104 |
| FMA | 74060 |
| Anatomical terms of muscle | |
muscles of mastication
