Anatomic.us > Muscular System > Muscles of Head and Neck

Orbicularis Oculi Muscle

The Orbicularis Oculi muscle surrounds the eye and extends outward onto the cheek. It is the muscle used to close the eyelid. Within the tissue of the lower eyelid  is a lacrimal duct that lets the eye get watered with lacrimal fluid (tears). The eye is a very delicate organ and the lacrimal fluid covers the cornea as a film at just the right thickness to maintain opening and closing the lacrimal lactam which is where tears flow from.

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Orbicularis Oculi Muscle

The tensor tarsi or Homer’s muscle is of extreme importance to the flow of lacrimal fluid. It is the palpebral (of or near the eyelid and an eyelid ) part of  the orbicularis oculi muscle.

It has three insertions, the first is located at the medial margin of the tarsi. The second insertion is into the subcutaneous tissue along the palpebral margin. Minute fascicles of  Homer’s muscle are fastened to the palpebral margins.  The  third  insertions  are into the lateral palpebral ligament and subcutaneous tissue  of the lateral commissure.

Listed next are some of the functions the  orbicularis oculi (Homer’s Muscle).

  • It principally closes the medial canthus ( the place where the two eyelids;  both the upper and lower, meet at either side of the eye)  the plural for the word canthus is canthi which are the palpebral commissures or angle of the two lids meeting.
  • It closes the lacrimal punctum.
  • It pulls the tarsus medially. It makes taut the palpebral margins and presses against the eyeball.
  • It squeezes the lacrimal  canaliculus with a decreasing gradient pressure from the lacrimal papilla to the lacrimal sac.

These actions are important to keeping the thickness of tear film over the eye’s cornea and for opening and closing the lacrimal punctum, and for the passage of the lacrimal fluid from the canaliculus to the sac. The lacrimal punctum are tiny openings along  the eyelid margin  and are part of the tear ducts. They are an important part of the drainage  system for the eye’s tears.They are positioned at the medial part of the eye. The fat tissue, in the orbit which surrounds the eyeball and its muscles keeps the rotation smooth with respect to the center of the eye. The orbicularis oculi muscle also acts to allow reflexive blinking.

 

Origin of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle:

  • The orbital part arises from the frontal and adjacent maxillary bones.

  • The palpebral part arises from the medial palpebral ligament and adjacent bone.

  • The lacrimal part arises from the lacrimal bone.

 

Insertion of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle:

  • The orbital part forms circular fibers that wrap around the eye and blend with  various neighboring muscles on all sides of the orbit.

  • The palpebral fibers cross at both eyelids to blend with each other at the lateral  side of the eye.

  • The lacrimal part of the muscle send fibers to the tarsi  of the superior eyelid and blends with fibers on the lateral side of the eye.

The tensor tarsi or Homer’s muscle is of extreme importance to the flow of lacrimal fluid. It is the palpebral (of or near the eyelid and an eyelid ) part of  the orbicularis oculi muscle.

It has three insertions, the first is located at the medial margin of the tarsi. The second insertion is into the subcutaneous tissue along the palpebral margin. Minute fascicles of  Homer’s muscle are fastened to the palpebral margins.  The  third  insertions  are into the lateral palpebral ligament and subcutaneous tissue  of the lateral commissure.

Listed next are some of the functions the  orbicularis oculi (Homer’s Muscle).

  • It principally closes the medial canthus ( the place where the two eyelids;  both the upper and lower, meet at either side of the eye)  the plural for the word canthus is canthi which are the palpebral commissures or angle of the two lids meeting.
  • It closes the lacrimal punctum.
  • It pulls the tarsus medially. It makes taut the palpebral margins and presses against the eyeball.
  • It squeezes the lacrimal  canaliculus with a decreasing gradient pressure from the lacrimal papilla to the lacrimal sac.

These actions are important to keeping the thickness of tear film over the eye’s cornea and for opening and closing the lacrimal punctum, and for the passage of the lacrimal fluid from the canaliculus to the sac. The lacrimal punctum are tiny openings along  the eyelid margin  and are part of the tear ducts. They are an important part of the drainage  system for the eye’s tears.They are positioned at the medial part of the eye. The fat tissue, in the orbit which surrounds the eyeball and its muscles keeps the rotation smooth with respect to the center of the eye. The orbicularis oculi muscle also acts to allow reflexive blinking.

 

Origin of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle:

  • The orbital part arises from the frontal and adjacent maxillary bones.

  • The palpebral part arises from the medial palpebral ligament and adjacent bone.

  • The lacrimal part arises from the lacrimal bone.

 

Insertion of the Orbicularis Oculi Muscle:

  • The orbital part forms circular fibers that wrap around the eye and blend with  various neighboring muscles on all sides of the orbit.

  • The palpebral fibers cross at both eyelids to blend with each other at the lateral  side of the eye.

  • The lacrimal part of the muscle send fibers to the tarsi  of the superior eyelid and blends with fibers on the lateral side of the eye.
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