Origin anterior of zygomatic Artery facial artery | Insertion modiolus of mouth | |
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Nerve zygomatic and buccal branches of the facial nerve Actions draws angle of mouth upward and laterally Latin musculus zygomaticus major | ||
The zygomaticus major is a muscle of the human body. It is a muscle of facial expression which draws the angle of the mouth superiorly and posteriorly to allow one to smile. Like all muscles of facial expression, the zygomatic major is innervated by the facial nerve (the seventh cranial nerve), more specifically, the buccal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve.
Contents
Structure
The zygomaticus extends from each zygomatic arch (cheekbone) to the corners of the mouth.
Function
It raises the corners of the mouth when a person smiles. Dimples may be caused by variations in the structure of this muscle as normally most of the people has a single united muscle. It is thought that dimples are caused by bifid zygomaticus major muscle.
References
Zygomaticus major muscle Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA