The masseter is a facial muscle located
in the cheek area on each side of the face.
The points of origin and insertion, and the actions of the masseter
muscle are tabulated below:
Origin |
Insertion |
Action |
Maxilla and zygomatic arch.
|
Mandible (bone). |
Elevates the mandible (e.g. as when closing the mouth) and
also retracts (draws back) the mandible.
|
|
This is one of the muscles of the head, neck, and face that is included
on the syllabus of many courses in Indian
Head Massage. As this is an increasingly popular therapy we have
added several revision pages that may be helpful to students of Indian
Head Massage. See for example, the page about Skeletal
Structures of the Head and Neck.
To view the location of the masseter
muscles, see the page about Facial
Muscles.
Note that this page consists of an interactive (rather than a simply
labelled) diagram, so you'll have to test yourself by guessing which
muscles are the masseter until
you find the correct label. It's a fun way to learn !
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