MadSci Network: Anatomy
Query:

Re: Superficial muscles connection to the skin of the face

Date: Wed Mar 31 18:21:41 1999
Posted By: Jim Bridger, Faculty, Biology, Prince Georges Community College
Area of science: Anatomy
ID: 922587873.An
Message:

Rafe- good question!  The 20 or more facial expression muscles are of many 
different types; e.g. pennate, circular etc.  Most connect via tendons to 
the bones of the face/skull just as most of the skeletal muscles do.  A 
few, such as the frontalis, attaches at its origin on the galea 
aponeurotica and inserts on the skin of the eyebrow.  The obicularis oculi, 
a circular muscle, has its origin on the bones of the orbit and inserts on 
the skin of the eyelid.  The platysma has its origin on the fascia of the 
neck and it inserts on the inferior surface of the mandible.  These are 
just a few examples to give you the idea that their points of attachments 
vary greatly due to location, size and shape as well as function.  When a 
muscle attaches directly to "skin", it really is attaching to the 
hypodermis which is technically not the skin, but as the name says, under 
the skin.  Some other muscles have unusual attachent sites also.  The 
internal obliques for example, attach to the linea alba for part of their 
insertion. ( the linea alba is fascia ) Any muscle that is directly under 
(deep to) the skin has some attachment to the skin but in most cases it is 
not the muscle's origin nor insertion points.  Several extrinsic tongue 
muscle attach to the tongue, another muscle.  So, as you can see, the 
variety of attachemnts is highly variable and depends on those factors that 
I mentioned above.  I hope that I answered your question.  J. Bridger


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