Zygomaticus major muscle

Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 17 Nov 2021

The zygomaticus major muscle is a member of the buccolabial muscle group of the upper lip, a subset of the facial muscles 1. It joins with the muscle fibers of levator anguli oris, orbicularis oris and the more deeply placed muscular bands to move the side of the mouth upwards and sideways during facial movements such as laughing.

  • draws the labial commissure (angle of the mouth) backward, upwards and laterally (e.g. when laughing and smiling) 2

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