Where it is
From the base of the skull, behind the ear, to the lower edge of the mandible.
- Layer
- Muscles
- System
- Facial muscles
- Region
- Head
What it is and what it does
The digastricus arises from the paracondylar process of the occipital bone and inserts on the ventromedial edge of the mandible. It opens the mouth: when the masticatory muscles relax, it pulls the mandible down. It has two bellies, with different nerve supply, from the trigeminal and from the facial nerve. In Sisson's old nomenclature it appears as the occipitomandibularis, with the same attachments.
Worth remembering
The masseter and the temporalis close the mouth; the digastricus opens it.
Names
- Latin term: m. digastricus.
- In Romanian: Digastricul (Romanian page).