masseter

(noun)

The large muscle which raises the lower jaw, and assists in mastication.

Related Terms

Examples of masseter in the following topics:

  • Chewing Muscles

    • Masseter - The most powerful muscle of mastication.
    • Differentiate between the actions of the masseter and the temporalis muscles in chewing

  • Dislocated Mandible

    • For the mouth to close it requires the following muscles: the masseter, temporalis, and medial pterygoid muscle.
    • The muscles that are affected during anterior jaw dislocation are the masseter and temporalis, which pull up on the mandible, and the lateral pterygoid, which relaxes the mandibular condyle.

  • Trigeminal (V) Nerve

    • The motor component of the mandibular division (V3) of the trigeminal nerve controls the movement of eight muscles, including the four muscles of mastication: the masseter, the temporal and the medial and lateral pterygoids.

  • Assessing CNS Disorders

    • Reflexes tested include masseter, biceps and triceps tendon, knee tendon, ankle jerk and plantar (i.e.