A facial muscle that draws the corner of the mouth upward and outward, producing the characteristic action of smiling.
Structure
The zygomaticus major is a slender strap of muscle that runs diagonally from the zygomatic bone down to the modiolus at the corner of the mouth. It is one of several muscles converging on this fibromuscular node.
Function
Contraction lifts and pulls the mouth corner up and back. It is the primary muscle of a genuine smile, often acting together with the orbicularis oculi to produce the so-called Duchenne smile.
Innervation
The muscle is supplied by the buccal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve.
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