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In anatomy, the masseter [help 1] is one of the muscles of mastication. Found only in mammals, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter. [5] The most obvious muscle of mastication is the masseter muscle, since it is the most superficial and one of the strongest.
The inferior longitudinal muscle lines the sides of the tongue, and is joined to the styloglossus muscle. It functions to shorten and curl the tongue downward. The vertical muscle is located in the middle of the tongue, and joins the superior and inferior longitudinal muscles. It functions to flatten the tongue.
The four classical muscles of mastication elevate the mandible (closing the jaw) and move it forward/backward and laterally, facilitating biting and chewing. Other muscles are responsible for opening the jaw, namely the geniohyoid , mylohyoid , and digastric muscles (the lateral pterygoid may play a role).
The statement that "the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body" appears frequently in lists of surprising facts, but it is difficult to find any definition of "strength" that would make this statement true. The tongue consists of eight muscles, not one.
The muscle which can 'cancel' or to some degree reverse the action of the muscle. Muscle synergies are noted in parentheses when relevant. O (Occurrences) Number of times that the named muscle row occurs in a standard human body. Here it may also be denoted when a given muscles only occurs in a male or a female body.
The jaw elevator muscles develop the main forces used in mastication. The force generated during routine mastication of food such as carrots or meat is about 70 to 150 newtons (16 to 34 lbf ). The maximum masticatory force in some people may reach up to 500 to 700 newtons (110 to 160 lbf ).
From the inside, the mandible appears concave. On either side of the lower symphysis is the mental spine (which can be faint or fused into one), to which the genioglossus (the inferior muscle of the tongue) attaches; the geniohyoid muscle attaches to the lower mental spine. Above the mental spine, a median foramen and furrow can line the symphysis.
The genioglossus is one of the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a fan-shaped muscle that comprises the bulk of the body of the tongue. It arises from the mental spine of the mandible; it inserts onto the hyoid bone, and the bottom of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). The genioglossus is the ...