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Facial muscles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Facial muscles

Head

Lateral head anatomy

Latin musculi faciei

Origin
Insertion   

Artery

Nerve facial nerve

Actions

The facial muscles are a group of striated muscles innervated by the facial nerve that, among other
things, control facial expression. These muscles are also called mimetic muscles.

Contents
  [hide] 

1 Structure
2 Innervation
3 Developme
nt
4 List of
muscles
5 See also
6 References
7 External
links

[edit]Structure

The facial muscles are subcutaneous (just under the skin) muscles that control facial expression. They
generally originate on bone, and insert on the skin of the face.

[edit]Innervation

The facial muscles are innervated by facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). In contrast, the nearby masticatory
muscles are innervated by the mandibular nerve, a branch of the trigeminal nerve (V).

[edit]Development

The facial muscles are derived from the second branchial/pharyngeal arch.

[edit]List of muscles
The facial muscles include:[1]
 Occipitofrontalis

 Temporoparietalis muscle

 Procerus

 Nasalis muscle

 Depressor septi nasi

 Orbicularis oculi

 Corrugator supercilii

 Depressor supercilii

 Auricular muscles (anterior, superior, posterior)

 Orbicularis oris

 Depressor anguli oris

 Risorius

 Zygomaticus major

 Zygomaticus minor

 Levator labii superioris

 Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi

 Depressor labii inferioris

 Levator anguli oris

 Buccinator

 Mentalis

The platysma is innervated by the facial nerve. Although it is mostly in the neck and can be grouped with
the neck muscles by location, it can be considered a muscle of facial expression due to its common
innervation.

The stylohyoid muscle, stapedius and posterior belly of the digastric muscle are also innervated by the


facial nerve, but are not considered muscles of facial expression.

[edit]See also

 Masticatory muscles

 Facial nerve

 Facial Action Coding System

 Modiolus

[edit]References

1. ^ Kyung Won, PhD. Chung (2005). Gross Anatomy (Board Review).


Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 364. ISBN 0-7817-5309-0.
|

[edit]External links

 ARTNATOMY: Anatomical Basis of Facial Expression Learning Tool

 lesson1 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)

[hide]
 V

 
 T

 
 E

List of muscles of head and neck: the head (TA A04.1,

Extraocular (CN III, IV, VI) oblique (inferior, superior) · rectus (superior, inferior, medial, lateral) · levator palpebra

masseter · temporalis (sphenomandibularis) · pterygoid (lateral, medial)
Mastication (CN V3)
fascia: Masseteric fascia · Temporal fascia · Deep portion: cementomaxillary tendon · S

Earauricular (anterior, superior, posterior) · temporoparietalis

occipitofrontalis (occipitalis, frontalis) · orbicularis oculi (depressor s
Scalp/eyelid
fascia: Galea aponeurotica

Facial (CN VII) Noseprocerus · nasalis (dilatator naris) · depressor septi nasi  · levator labi

levator anguli oris · levator labii superioris · zygomaticus (major, min

Mouthorbicularis oris · risorius · buccinator

depressor anguli oris · depressor labii inferioris · mentalis

Palate/fauces (CN IX, X, XI)
veli palatini (tensor, levator) · musculus uvulae · palatopharyngeus (to pharynx) · palato
(except TVP=V3)

Tongue (CN XII) extrinsic (genioglossus, hyoglossus/chondroglossus, styloglossus, and palatoglossus) · in

M: MUS, DF+DRCT anat (h/n, u, t/d, a/p, l)/phys/devp/hist noco (m, s, c)/con

This muscle article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding


it.
A facial expression is one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin.
These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial
expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of
conveying social information amonghumans, but also occur in most
other mammals and some other animal species.

Humans can adopt a facial expression to read as a voluntary action. However,


because expressions are closely tied to emotion, they are more often involuntary. It
can be nearly impossible to avoid expressions for certain emotions, even when it
would be strongly desirable to do so;[citation needed] a person who is trying to avoid
insulting an individual he or she finds highly unattractive might nevertheless show a
brief expression of disgust before being able to reassume a neutral expression. [citation
needed]
 Microexpressions are one example of this phenomenon. The close link
between emotion and expression can also work in the other direction; it has been
observed that voluntarily assuming an expression can actually cause the associated
emotion (Schnall & Laird, 2003; Soussignan, 2002 as cited in Papa & Bonanno,
2008).

Some expressions can be accurately interpreted even between members of different


species- angerand extreme contentment being the primary examples. Others,
however, are difficult to interpret even in familiar individuals. For
instance, disgust and fear can be tough to tell apart.[citation needed]

Because faces have only a limited range of movement, expressions rely upon fairly
minuscule differences in the proportion and relative position of facial features, and
reading them requires considerable sensitivity to same. Some faces are often falsely
read as expressing some emotion, even when they are neutral, because their
proportions naturally resemble those another face would temporarily assume when
emoting.[citation needed]

Contents
  [hide] 

1 Communication
o 1.1 Eye contact
o 1.2 The face overall
o 1.3 Sign languages
2 List of facial expressions
3 Muscles involved
4 Universality
o 4.1 Support for the Universality Hypothesis
o 4.2 Questioning the Universality
Hypothesis
o 4.3 Evolutionary significance of
universality
5 Neural mechanisms in recognizing facial
expressions
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit]Communication

[edit]Eye contact
See also: Eye contact

A person's face, especially their eyes, creates the most obvious and immediate cues
that lead to the formation of impressions.[1] This article discusses eyes and facial
expressions and the effect they have on interpersonal communication.

A person's eyes reveal much about how they are feeling, or what they are thinking.
Blink rate can reveal how nervous or at ease a person may be. Research by Boston
College professor Joe Tecce suggests that stress levels are revealed by blink rates.
He supports his data with statistics on the relation between the blink rates of
presidential candidates and their success in their races. Tecce claims that the faster
blinker in the presidential debates has lost every election since 1980. [2] Though
Tecce's data is interesting, it is important to recognize that non-verbal
communication is multi-channeled, and focusing on only one aspect is reckless.
Nervousness can also be measured by examining each candidates' perspiration, eye
contact and stiffness.[3]

Eye contact is another major aspect of facial communication. Some have


hypothesized that this is due to infancy, as humans are one of the few mammals
who maintain regular eye contact with their mother while nursing. [4] Eye contact
serves a variety of purposes. It regulates conversations, shows interest or
involvement, and establishes a connection with others.

Eye contact regulates conversational turn taking, communicates involvement and


interest, manifests warmth, and establishes connections with others…[and] it can
command attention, be flirtatious, or seem cold and intimidating… [it] invites
conversation. Lack of eye contact is usually perceived to be rude or inattentive.[3]
But different cultures have different rules for eye contact. Certain Asian cultures
can perceive direct eye contact as a way to signal competitiveness, which in
many situations may prove to be inappropriate. Others lower their eyes to signal
respect, and similarly eye contact is avoided in Nigeria, and between men and
women in Islam;[5] however, in western cultures this could be misinterpreted as
lacking self-confidence.

Even beyond the idea of eye contact, eyes communicate more data than a
person even consciously expresses. Pupil dilation is a significant cue to a level of
excitement, pleasure, or attraction. Dilated pupils indicate greater affection or
attraction, while constricted pupils send a colder signal.
[edit]The face overall
The face as a whole indicates much about human moods as well. Specific
emotional states, such as happiness or sadness, are expressed through a smile
or a frown, respectively. There are seven universally recognized emotions shown
through facial expressions: fear, anger, surprise, contempt, disgust, happiness,
and sadness. Regardless of culture, these expressions are the same. However,
the same emotion from a specific facial expression may be recognized by a
culture, but the same intensity of emotion may not be perceived. For example,
studies have shown that Asian cultures tend to rate images of facial emotions as
less intense than non-Asian cultures surveyed. This difference can be explained
by display rules, which are culture-specific guidelines for behavior
appropriateness. In some countries, it may be more rude to display an emotion
than in another. Showing anger toward another member in a group may create
problems and disharmony, but if displayed towards a competitive rival, it could
create in-group cohesion.[citation needed]
[edit]Sign languages
Facial expression is used in sign languages to convey specific meanings.
In American Sign Language (ASL), for instance, raised eyebrows combined with
a slightly forward head tilt indicate that what is being signed is a yes/no question.
Lowered eyebrows are used for wh-word questions. Facial expression is also
used in sign languages to show adverbs and adjectives such as distance or size:
an open mouth, squinted eyes, and tilted back head indicate something far while
the mouth pulled to one side and the cheek held toward the shoulder indicate
something close, and puffed cheeks mean very large. It can also show the
manner in which something is done, such as carelessly or routinely. [6] Some of
these expressions, also called non-manual signs, are used similarly in different
sign languages while others are different from one language to another. For
example, the expression used for 'carelessly' in ASL means 'boring or
unpleasant' in British Sign Language.[7]

[edit]List of facial expressions


This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality
standards. The specific problem is: see talk page. Please
help improve this section if you can. (February 2012)

There are six classically defined facial expressions: [8]

 Joy
 Surprise
 Fear
 Anger
 Disgust
 Sadness

Some other examples of feelings or mental states that can be expressed through
the face are:

 Boredom
 Concentration
 Confusion
 Contempt
 Contentment
 Desire
 Embarrassment
 Empathy
 Excitement
 Flirtation
 Frustration
 Love
 Shame
 Smugness
 Submission

Terms for certain facial expressions themselves, as opposed to the associated


emotions, include:
 Crossed eyes (see Strabismus for the medical condition)
 Eye roll
 Frown
 Glare
 Grimace
 Gurn
 Pout
 Puppy face
 Pursed lips (see also Air kiss and Snout reflex)
 Smile (see also Laughter)
 Smirk
 Snarl
 Sneer
 Sticking out the tongue (see also Blowing a raspberry)
 Wink

The term "blank expression" (also popularly known as "poker face") is sometimes
used to indicate a lack of any discernable expression. (See also Deadpan.)

[edit]Muscles involved
See also: facial muscles

 Auricularis anterior muscle


 Buccinator muscle
 Corrugator supercilii muscle
 Depressor anguli oris muscle
 Depressor labii inferioris muscle
 Depressor septi nasi muscle
 Frontalis muscle
 Levator anguli oris muscle
 Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle
 Levator labii superioris muscle
 Mentalis muscle
 Modiolus muscle
 Nasalis muscle
 Orbicularis oculi muscle
 Orbicularis oris muscle
 Platysma muscle
 Procerus muscle
 Risorius muscle
 Zygomaticus major muscle
 Zygomaticus minor muscle
[edit]Universality

The Universality Hypothesis is assumption that certain facial expressions are


signals of specific emotions (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust)
that are recognized by people everywhere, regardless of culture or language.
The evolutionary basis of these kinds of facial expressions can be traced back to
Darwin’s "The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals." Reviews of the
Universality Hypothesis have been both supportive (Ekman, Friesen, and
Ellsworth, 1972; Izard, 1971) and critical (Woodworth and Schlosberg, 1954;
Russell, 1994).
[edit]Support for the Universality Hypothesis
Ekman's work on facial expressions had its starting point in the work of
psychologist Silvan Tomkins.[2] Ekman showed that facial expressions of
emotion are not culturally determined, but universal across human cultures.

To demonstrate the Universality Hypothesis, Ekman tested the South Fore


people of New Guinea, a pre-industrial culture that was isolated from Western
culture. The Fore were told brief stories about emotional events (happiness,
sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust). After each story they were asked to
select the matching facial expression from an array of three faces (Ekman &
Friesen, 1971). The Fore selected the correct face on 64%-90% of trials – but
had difficulty telling the fear face from the surprise face. Children selected from
an array of only 2 faces and their results were similar to adults’. Subsequent
cross-cultural studies with other cultures found also similar results (Ekman,
1987).
[edit]Questioning the Universality Hypothesis
People on both sides of this debate agree that the face expresses emotion. The
question is: What specific emotional information do we read from a facial
expression? Is a specific discrete emotion as claimed by the Universality
Hypothesis? Or is it other more general information which we then piece together
with other contextual information to determine how a person feels (Aviezer;
Carroll & Russell, 1996)?
One difficulty with the evidence presented in support of the Universality
Hypothesis is the method typically used to demonstrate universality inflates
recognition scores (Russell, 1994). Although each factor may contribute only a
small to the inflation, combined they can produce exaggerated scores.

1. The Universality Hypothesis is about our ability to recognize spontaneous facial


expressions as they occur naturally. Yet the facial expressions used to test this
hypothesis are posed. Studies of spontaneous facial expressions are rare and
find that participants’ recognition of the expressions is lower than of the
corresponding posed expressions (Matsumoto et al., 2009; Naab & Russell,
2007).
2. In most studies, participants are shown more than one facial expression (Ekman
recommends six of each expression). But people judge facial expressions
relative to others that they have seen (Thayer, 1980) and participants who judge
more than one facial expression have higher recognition rates than those who
judge only one (Russell, 1994).
3. The response format that is most commonly used in emotion recognition studies
is forced choice. In forced choice, for each facial expression, participants are
asked to select their response from a short list of emotion labels. The forced
choice method determines the emotion attributed to the facial expressions via
the labels that are presented (Russell, 1994). That is, participants will select the
best match to the facial expression even if it is not the emotion label they would
have provided spontaneously and even if they would not have labeled the
expression as an emotion at all (Wagner, 2000).
[edit]Evolutionary significance of universality
Darwin argued that the expression of emotions has evolved in humans from
animals, who would have used similar methods of expression. Darwin believed
that expressions were unlearned and innate in human nature and were therefore
evolutionary significant for survival. Darwin obtained evidence of this through
research on different cultures, species and on infants. [9] Cross-cultural studies
had shown that there are similarities in the way emotions are expressed across
diverse cultures, but studies have even shown that there are similarities between
species in how emotions are expressed. Research has shown that chimpanzees
are able to communicate many of the same facial expression through the
complex movements of the facial muscles. The facial cues were so similar that
Ekman’s Facial Action Coding System could be applied to the chimps in
evaluating their expressions.[10] Of course, differences between the species
physical facial properties, such as white sclera and everted lips in chimps, would
mean that some expressions could not be compared. [11] Similarly, Darwin
observed that infants’ method of expression not only was similar to those of
adults, but seemed to be instinctive, as they were able to display emotional
expressions they had not themselves yet witnessed. [12] It is clear that facial
morphology may also impact upon expression recognition in important ways and
therefore infant facial morphology may also serve some specific communicative
function. These similarities in morphology and movement in emotional
expression are important for the interpretation of emotions. [13] Darwin was
particularly interested in the functions facial expression as evolutionarily
important for survival. He looked at the functions of facial expression in terms of
the utility of expression in the life on the animal and in terms of specific
expressions in species. Darwin deduced that animals were communicating
feelings of different emotional states with specific facial expressions. He further
concluded that the this communication was important for survival of animals in
group-dwelling species; the skill to effectively communicate or interpret another
animal’s feelings and behaviors would be a principal trait in naturally fit species.
[14]

[edit]Neural
mechanisms in recognizing facial
expressions
The amygdala plays an important role in facial recognition. Functional imaging
studies have found that when shown pictures of faces, there is a large increase
in the activity of the amygdala. The amygdala receives visual information from
the thalamus via the subcortical pathways.[15] The amygdala may also have a
significant role in the recognition of fear and negative emotions. It is believed that
the emotion disgust is recognized through activation of the insula and basal
ganglia. The recognition of emotion may also utilize the occipitotemporal
neocortex, orbitofrontal cortex and right frontoparietal cortices. [16]

[edit]See also

 Affect display
 Emotion
 Emotion classification
 Facial Action Coding System, Paul Ekman
 Laughter, Gelotology, Freitas-Magalhães
 Metacommunicative competence
 Bell's Palsy
Facial Muscles:
The Facial Muscles, and in particular those in the lips,
help to shape the sound and air stream into recognizable
speech. Visible in this image (click on it), these muscles
move the face in response to our thoughts, feelings,
emotions and impulses. Actors work very carefully to
learn how to isolate each muscle. It is useful to learn to
recognise the various muscles in order to better isolate
them, so that any extraneous movement is eliminated
and the muscles used are those desired. Also by
recognising the muscles' shape, it is easier to understand how the face is
moved by these muscles.

They are:

 frontalis: the forehead


 corrugator: the brow
 nasalis: the nose
 obicularis oculi: around the eye
 levator labii: raises the upper lip
 masseter: closes the jaw
 Obicularis oris: purses the lips
 risoris: draws the lips in a smile
 buccinator: pulls the lips wide and tight
 depressor labii: lowers the lower lips
 depressor anguli oris: lowers the bottom corner of the lips
 levator anguli oris (not shown): raises the upper corner of the lips
 pterigoid (not shown): pulls jaw back or shut
 mentalis: pulls chin down

This image features a clear side view of the facial


muscles. You can see the temporalis muscle, those on
your temples under the hairline just above your ears,
very clearly. These are very active in chewing. Also
visible is the large strap of the buccinator muscle (latin
for bugler), which pulls the side of the mouth wide.

 
The platysma muscle covers the front of the neck, and is
the muscle closest to the surface. This image shows the
angle at which one feels the platysma best, by lifting the
chin while turning the head to either side. This muscle
often tries to "help" as we speak, and learning to relax it
can be very difficult for some. It attaches to the jaw line
and to the clavicle as it smoothes over the neck.

For speech, the most important facial muscles are those


that move the lips. All other muscles we want to relax as
much as possible, especially the jaw muscles. In fact,
some models are now having "botox", a form of botulism toxin, injected
into some of their facial muscles, like the corrugator and frontalis, so that
the muscles won't work and won't create wrinkles.
The facial muscles are like elastic sheets that are stretched in layers over the
cranium, facial bones, the openings they form, and the cartilage, fat, and other
tissues of the head. These are the muscles of facial expression, acting singly and in
combination. The diagram below shows a simplified view of how the facial muscles
are actually arranged. It has a cut-away view of some of the muscles on the right side
of the image to show the layers. Move the mouse cursor over the diagram of facial
muscles below and click on a facial muscle of interest to see more information. Most
of the muscles have a short video that illustrates the appearances that are produced
when the muscle acts. Innervation and blood supply are also indicated. (MPEG 1
plugin is needed to view the videos.) For more detailed depictions of facial anatomy,
see the Anatomy pages.

Noun 1. facial expression - a gesture executed with the facial


muscles
face, front part of the head that, in vertebrates, houses the sense organs of
vision and smell as well as the mouth and jaws. In humans it extends from the
forehead to the chin.

During the course of evolution from the prehuman Australopithecus to


modern humans (Homo sapiens), the face became smaller in relation to the
overall size of the head. While brain and braincase (cranium) tripled in
volume, the jaws became shorter and the teeth simpler in form and smaller in
size. In consequence, the face receded beneath the forehead. Thus, the modern
human face exhibits an essentially vertical profile, in marked contrast to the
protruding facial muzzle of the gorilla, the chimpanzee, and, to a lesser extent,
extinct hominids. The recession of the tooth-bearing portion of the jaws
beneath the forehead left two distinctively human features: a prominent,
projecting nose and a clearly defined chin.

In individual development the human face and braincase follow different


patterns of growth. The brain and braincase attain 90 percent of adult size by
the age of 6 years, while the face grows more slowly in concurrence with the
enlargement of the nasal passages and the eruption of both sets of teeth.
Viewed in profile, the face at birth is less than one-fifth the size of the
braincase; by adulthood it has increased to nearly half. Facial dimensions
increase most in depth, next in height (length), and least in width. During
adolescence, facial musculature increases and the facial sinuses enlarge, in
general to a greater extent in males than in females.
The facial muscles, also known as mimetic muscles, are a group
of muscles just beneath the skin of the face that are controlled by
the facial nerve. The primary function of the facialmuscles is the formation
of facial expressions in order to express feelings and emotions.
Thefacial muscles also serve other functions, such as blinking and keeping
food from falling out of the mouth. The muscles involved in the process of
chewing food, however, belong to a separate muscle group known as
the muscles of mastication.
There are many different facial muscles that are each responsible for different
aspects of facialexpression, such as furrowing eyebrows or flaring nostrils.
Several of these serve particularly noticeable or apparent functions.
The occipitofrontalis muscle, which has components in the front and back of
the top of the skull, is responsible for the muscular actions of the scalp, such
as raising the eyebrows or furrowing the forehead. The procerus, nasalis, and
depressor septi nasi muscles all control the muscles of the nose and
contribute to actions such as crinkling the nose or flaring the nostrils.
The orbicularis oculi is the muscle responsible for drawing the eyelids down
over the eyes, or blinking.
Another muscle associated with the eyes called the corrugator supercilii is
located above the eyebrows and pushes the eyebrows downward and toward
the center of the face. This muscular motion primarily produces the
appearance of suffering and unhappiness. As such, this muscle is sometimes
referred to as the "frowning" muscle.
There are many muscles that control movement around the mouth as well.
The orbicularis orismuscle is responsible for many movements of the lips,
such as puckering or closing the mouth. The risorius muscle is the muscle of
the mouth that is responsible for tugging at the corners of the mouth to
produce a smile. Sincere smiles involve the zygomaticus major and
zygomaticus minor muscles around the lip and cause wrinkles on the outside
of the eyes with the orbicularis oculi muscles.
This difference in the facial muscles used in sincere and false emotional
expressions illustrates the connection between emotion
and facial muscle control. A great deal of research in psychophysiology has
indicated that most facial expressions of emotion involve the
samefacial muscles in all people and are not significantly culturally dependent.
This is part of the reason that the Facial Action Coding System, a system of
classifying the particular arrangement of relaxed and
contracted facial muscles, is useful for determining emotion. There tends to be
at least some subtle difference in the facial muscles used to express different
emotions or to express insincere emotions.

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