The bones of the face are covered in layers of facial muscles. Flexing these muscles allows us to blink, talk, and eat, as well as make a range of facial expressions for communication.
The facial muscles are unique within a body because one end is usually attached to the skin rather than another bone. A small contraction of a facial muscle pulls the skin of the face to from a different expression. The ability to make – and understand – so many different facial expressions helps humans to communicate better.
Layered muscles
The facial muscles are arranged in thin layers. Superficial muscles lie just under the skin, and beneath them is a layer of deep muscles. In some parts of the face, these two layers are connected by dense fibres.
Taking shape
The shape of a human face is mostly defined by its facial bones and muscles. Forensic sculptors can reconstruct a face from a skull to give a good idea of a person’s appearance when they were alive. This can be achieved by modeling with clay or by using computer software programs.
New faces
Modellers use their knowledge of how muscles are arranged over the skull to recreate a face. The model face on the right has been built up, layer by layer, from the skull on the left.
Pulling faces
The facial muscles pull the skin and change the position of the eyes, eyebrows, and lips to make us smile and scowl. These expressions are hard to fake because we make them automatically.
Picture Credit : Google
