temporalis (muscle)


tem·po·ra·lis (mus·cle)

[TA] superiormost masticatory muscle; origin, temporal fossa; insertion, coronoid process of mandible and anterior border of ramus; action elevates mandible (closes jaw); its posterior, nearly horizontally-oriented fibers are the primary retractors of the protruded mandible. nerve supply, deep temporal branches of mandibular division of trigeminal. Synonym(s): musculus temporalis [TA], temporal muscle, temporalis