The levator labii superioris (: ''levatores labii superioris'', also called quadratus labii superioris, : ''quadrati labii superioris'') is a

muscle Muscle is a soft tissue, one of the four basic types of animal tissue. There are three types of muscle tissue in vertebrates: skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. Muscle tissue gives skeletal muscles the ability to muscle contra ...

of the

human body The human body is the entire structure of a Human, human being. It is composed of many different types of Cell (biology), cells that together create Tissue (biology), tissues and subsequently Organ (biology), organs and then Organ system, org ...

used in

facial expression Facial expression is the motion and positioning of the muscles beneath the skin of the face. These movements convey the emotional state of an individual to observers and are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying ...

. It is a broad sheet, the origin of which extends from the side of the

nose A nose is a sensory organ and respiratory structure in vertebrates. It consists of a nasal cavity inside the head, and an external nose on the face. The external nose houses the nostrils, or nares, a pair of tubes providing airflow through the ...

to the

zygomatic bone In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from ), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone, situated at the upper and lateral part of the face and forming part of the lateral wall and floor of the orbit, of the temporal fos ...

Structure

Its medial fibers form the ''angular head'' (also known as the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle) which arises by a pointed extremity from the upper part of the frontal process of the

maxilla In vertebrates, the maxilla (: maxillae ) is the upper fixed (not fixed in Neopterygii) bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxil ...

and passing obliquely downward and lateralward divides into two slips. One of these is inserted into the

greater alar cartilage The major alar cartilage (greater alar cartilage) (lower lateral cartilage) is a thin, flexible plate, situated immediately below the lateral nasal cartilage, and bent upon itself in such a manner as to form the Nasal septum, medial wall and later ...

and skin of the nose; the other is prolonged into the lateral part of the upper lip, blending with the infraorbital head and with the orbicularis oris. The intermediate portion or ''infraorbital head'' arises from the lower margin of the

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...

immediately above the infraorbital foramen, some of its fibers being attached to the

, others to the

. Its fibers converge, to be inserted into the muscular substance of the upper lip between the angular head and the levator anguli oris. The lateral fibers, forming the ''zygomatic head'' (also known as the zygomaticus minor muscle) arise from the malar surface of the

immediately behind the zygomaticomaxillary suture and pass downward and medialward to the upper lip.

Function

Its main function is to elevate the upper lip.Clinically Oriented Anatomy 6th ed by Moore & Dalley

Additional images

File:Sobo 1909 262.png File:Sobo 1909 264.png File:Gray157.png, Left maxilla. Outer surface. File:Gray165.png, Left zygomatic bone. Malar surface. File:Gray508.png, The arteries of the face and scalp. File:Frontalis muscle animation small.gif

References

External links

PTCentral
{{Authority control Muscles of the head and neck Otorhinolaryngology Human head and neck Facial muscles

Structure

Function

See also

Additional images

References

External links