science

Levator labii superioris

Levator labii superioris is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Levator labii superioris rather than just read about it. In short: The levator labii superioris (pl.: levatores labii superioris, also called quadratus labii superioris, pl.: quadrati labii superioris) is a muscle of the human body used in facial expression. It is a broad sheet, the origin of which extends from the side of the nose to the zygomatic bone.

Key takeaways

Levator labii superioris belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Levator labii superioris to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Levator labii superioris from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The levator labii superioris (pl.: levatores labii superioris, also called quadratus labii superioris, pl.: quadrati labii superioris) is a muscle of the human body used in facial expression. It is a broad sheet, the origin of which extends from the side of the nose to the zygomatic bone.

Structure Its medial fibers form the angular head (also known as the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle) which arises by a pointed extremity from the upper part of the frontal process of the maxilla and passing obliquely downward and lateralward divides into two slips. One of these is inserted into the greater alar cartilage and skin of the nose; the other is prolonged into the lateral part of the upper lip, blending with the infraorbital head and with the orbicularis oris. The intermediate portion or infraorbital head arises from the lower margin of the orbit immediately above the infraorbital foramen, some of its fibers being attached to the maxilla, others to the zygomatic bone. Its fibers converge, to be inserted into the muscular substance of the upper lip between the angular head and the levator anguli oris. The lateral fibers, forming the zygomatic head (also known as the zygomaticus minor muscle) arise from the malar surface of the zygomatic bone immediately behind the zygomaticomaxillary suture and pass downward and medialward to the upper lip.

Function Its main function is to elevate the upper lip.

See also Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi

Additional images

References This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 383 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links PTCentral

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Levator labii superioris

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Levator labii superioris claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Levator labii superioris before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Levator labii superioris ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Levator labii superioris

In research: Levator labii superioris appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Levator labii superioris in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Levator labii superioris is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Facial muscles, Human head and neck, Muscles of the head and neck, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Levator labii superioris outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Levator labii superioris in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Levator labii superioris means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Levator labii superioris out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Levator labii superioris in simple terms?

Why does Levator labii superioris matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Levator labii superioris?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Levator labii superioris.