Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle | ||
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| Muscles of the head, face, and neck. (Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi not labeled, but visible near nose.) | ||
| Latin | musculus levator labii superioris alaeque nasi | |
| Origin: | maxilla | |
| Insertion: | nostril and upper lip | |
| Blood: | ||
| Nerve: | buccal branch of facial nerve, CN VII | |
| Action: | dilates the nostril; elevates the upper lip | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | m_22/12549606 | |
The Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle is, translated from Latin, the "lifter of the upper lip and of the wing of the nose". It is the muscle with the longest name in any animals body.
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[edit] Attachment
The muscle is attached to the upper frontal process of the maxilla and inserts into the skin of the lateral part of the nostril and upper lip.
[edit] Action
It dilates the nostril and elevates the upper lip, enabling one to snarl. Elvis Presley is famous for his use of this facial expression, earning the muscle this nickname "The Elvis muscle".
