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Cupid's bow feature of a human lip. The upper and lower lips are referred to as the labium superius oris and labium inferius oris, respectively. [2] [3] The juncture where the lips meet the surrounding skin of the mouth area is the vermilion border, [4] and the typically reddish area within the borders is called the vermilion zone. [5]
In facial expression, this mouth line is iconically shaped like an up-open parabola in a smile, and like a down-open parabola in a frown. A down-turned mouth means a mouth line forming a down-turned parabola, and when permanent can be normal. Also, a down-turned mouth can be part of the presentation of Prader–Willi syndrome. [4]
Typically, regions such as the cheeks, lips, and parts of the hard palate contain submucosa (a layer of loose fatty or glandular connective tissue containing the major blood vessels and nerves supplying the mucosa). The submucosa's composition determines the flexibility of the attachment of oral mucosa to the underlying structures.
Underneath skin at corners of mouth (dimple area), orbicularis oris: Shaping of lips (as during speech) Lips: Multiple: Orbicularis oris: Tissue surrounding lips: Underneath skin at corners of the mouth Lateral movement of cheeks (e.g., sucking on a straw; also used to compress air in mouth while blowing) Cheeks: Lateral: Buccinator
The lips are composed wholly of soft tissue. The skin of the face is thicker than the skin overlying the lips where blood vessels are closer to the surface. As a consequence, the margin of the lips shows a transition between the thicker and thinner skin, represented by the vermilion border.
In human anatomy, the orbicularis oris muscle is a complex of muscles in the lips that encircles the mouth. [2] It is not a true sphincter, as was once thought, as it is actually composed of four independent quadrants that interlace and give only an appearance of circularity.
Labia majora is the Latin plural for big ("major") lips. The Latin term labium/labia is used in anatomy for a number of usually paired parallel structures, but in English, it is mostly applied to two pairs of parts of the vulva —labia majora and labia minora .
The inferior labial artery (inferior labial branch of facial artery) arises near the angle of the mouth as a branch of the facial artery; it passes upward and forward beneath the triangularis and, penetrating the orbicularis oris, runs in a tortuous course along the edge of the lower lip between this muscle and the mucous membrane.