Where it is
In the eyelids, around the opening of the eye.
- Layer
- Muscles
- System
- Facial muscles
- Region
- Head
What it is and what it does
The orbicularis oculi surrounds the opening of the eye; its fibers form the middle, fibromuscular layer of the eyelids and lie next to the tarsus. In the dog, the cutaneous muscle of the face sends a layer toward the lower eyelid that merges with the orbicularis, the malaris muscle. It is supplied by the facial nerve, through the zygomatic branch, the one serving the eyelids and the region of the nose.
Worth remembering
The reflex blink when the whiskers or the hairs above the eyes are touched goes through this muscle.
Names
- Latin term: m. orbicularis oculi.
- In Romanian: Orbicularul ochiului (Romanian page).