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In humans, the mandible, or lower jaw, is connected to the temporal bone of the skull via the temporomandibular joint. This is an extremely complex joint which permits movement in all planes. The muscles of mastication originate on the skull and insert into the mandible, thereby allowing for jaw movements during contraction.
In anatomy, the temporalis muscle, also known as the temporal muscle, is one of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It is a broad, fan-shaped convergent muscle on each side of the head that fills the temporal fossa, superior to the zygomatic arch so it covers much of the temporal bone. [1] Temporal refers to the head's temples.
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 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 ).
The bone or other structure the muscle is attached to that remains immobile during the action. The term "bone" is omitted from bone names. Insertion The attachment point of the muscle, on a bone or otherwise, that moves during the action. Artery The artery which supplies the muscle with blood. The term "artery" is included to avoid confusing ...
Chewing or mastication is the process by which food is crushed and ground by the teeth. It is the first step in the process of digestion, allowing a greater surface area for digestive enzymes to break down the foods. During the mastication process, the food is positioned by the cheek and tongue between the teeth for grinding.
The mandible is moved primarily by the four muscles of mastication: the masseter, medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid and the temporalis. These four muscles, all innervated by V 3, or the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, work in different groups to move the mandible in different directions. Contraction of the lateral pterygoid acts ...
The lateral pterygoid muscle (or external pterygoid muscle) is a muscle of mastication. It has two heads. It lies superior to the medial pterygoid muscle. It is supplied by pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery, and the lateral pterygoid nerve (from the mandibular nerve, CN V 3). It depresses and protrudes the mandible. When each muscle ...