Muscles of mastication

To muscles of mastication those four pairs are summarized muscles of the head, move the lower jaw towards the upper jaw and thus for the jaw closure ( occlusion), the biting and grinding of food permit (including directed sideways sliding movements ).

In humans and other mammals it consists of four, each paired muscles applied:

Development History comes the masticatory muscles on the first gill arch. Therefore, the innervation of the muscles of mastication is carried out by branches of the first branchial arch nerve, the mandibular nerve, a branch of the trigeminal nerve ( cranial nerve V). Due to the special embryological origin, the muscles of mastication have a specific isoform of myosin, the corresponding muscle fiber type is called type 2M.

A tonic spasm of the masticatory muscles is called trismus. Rigor mortis (rigor mortis ) of skeletal muscle, one of the most reliable sign of death begins in the muscles of mastication.

Masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint are considered as a functional unit, complaints in this area are concerned with a myriad of naming. The term " temporomandibular disorders" has - the largest found acceptance - at least in the English-speaking world as temporomandibular disorder. In the German-speaking area designations as temporomandibular dysfunction or craniomandibular disorders are as well as many other used more. In domestic dogs, an autoimmune disease occur against the specific myosin, which is referred to as Kaumuskelmyositis.

• Skeletal muscle of the head