How to Identify the Masseter

The masseter is a thick, powerful muscle of the jaw that is used for chewing. It consists of a superficial and deep portion that is continuous at their insertion and is opposed by the platysma muscle. The following steps will help you identify the masseter muscle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Read up on Greek roots to know that "masseter" means "the chewer." This is the primary muscle used in chewing.
2. Examine the masseter to see that it closes the lower jaw and may deviate the mandible to the opposite side of the contraction. It can become enlarged with exercise like any muscle and is sometimes reduced for cosmetic reasons.
3. Observe how the masseter originates from the zygomatic process of the maxilla and the inferior border of the zygomatic arch for the superficial head. The intermediate head originates from the inner surface of the zygomatic arch. The deep head originates from the posterior aspect of the inferior border of the zygomatic arch.
4. Look at the insertion of the masseter into the angle of mandible and lateral surface of mandibular ramus for the superficial head. The intermediate head inserts into the ramus of the mandible. The deep head inserts into the superior ramus of the mandible and the coronoid process of the mandible.
5. Research the nervous system to know that the nerve for the masseter is the masseteric nerve. Study the circulatory system to know that the blood supply for the masseter is the masseteric artery.

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