Mastication Muscles
This muscle closes the jaw and is the strongest muscle involved in chewing.
Masseter
This muscle closes your eyes tightly.
Orbicularis oculi
This muscle elevates the tongue and forms most of its mass.
Genioglossus
These muscles are involved in swallowing and move food from the mouth to the esophagus (general group name).
Pharyngeal muscles
This muscle elevates and retracts the mandible; it is located on the side of the skull.
Temporalis
This muscle closes and puckers your lips, like when you kiss.
Orbicularis oris
This group of muscles allows the tongue to change shape (like flattening or curling).
Intrinsic tongue muscles
The superior, middle, and inferior ______ muscles contract in sequence to push the bolus downward when swallowing.
Constrictor muscles
These two muscles work together to move the jaw forward (protrusion). (Name both.)
Lateral pterygoid + Medial pterygoid
This muscle raises the corners of your mouth when you smile.
Zygomaticus (major)
This small muscle elevates the back of the tongue and helps with swallowing.
Palatoglossus
This elevated group lifts the hyoid bone during swallowing (general group name).
Suprahyoid muscles
This muscle has a medial and lateral head and helps move the jaw side-to-side.
Lateral pterygoid
This large muscle helps you pull your lower lip down and tense your neck skin.
Platysma
These muscles raise the soft palate during swallowing to prevent food from entering the nose.
Levator veli palatini
These muscles depress the hyoid bone and help with speech and swallowing (general group name).
Infrahyoid muscles
This muscle elevates the mandible and helps with chewing, inserting on the medial side of the mandible.
Medial pterygoid
This muscle allows you to raise your eyebrows and create forehead wrinkles.
Frontalis (or occipitofrontalis – frontal belly)
This muscle tenses the soft palate and opens the auditory tube.
Tensor veli palatini
This large neck muscle rotates the head and bends the neck sideways.
Sternocleidomastoid