New body part discovered

Recently, scientists have discovered a remnant of a human body that has never been described before. It is a layer of muscle located deep in the jaw, which functions to raise the lower jaw and is important when chewing.

The newly discovered muscle layer runs from behind the cheekbone to the front of the mandible: S = superficial layer, D = deep layer, C = newly discovered muscle layer (Photo: University of Basel).

It is known that modern anatomy textbooks describe the chewing muscle as having two layers, a deep layer and a superficial layer. However, in some ancient documents there was mention of the existence of a third layer. But this is only considered a hypothesis, due to contradictions about its position in the set of functions.

Therefore, the team decided to test whether the jaw muscle in question could exist in a special location, deep in the jaw.

To do this, they conducted autopsies on 12 corpses that had been preserved in formaldehyde. In addition, the team also took CT scans from 16 fresh corpses, and MRI scans from one living subject.

Through these tests, they identified a third layer of "anatomically different" structures within the jaw muscles. This layer is located very deep, running from part of the cheekbone to the position below the ear, or in front of the lower jawbone.

Szilvia Mezey, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Basel in Switzerland and first author of the study, says the division is clearly distinguishable from the other two classes, as well as being very different. on structure and function.

"Based on the arrangement of the muscle fibers, the muscle layer has the ability to help stabilize the lower jaw by 'lifting and retracting,'" Mezey said. In fact, the newly discovered muscle layer is the only part of the body. The apparatus works to help pull the jawbone back.

"It is often assumed that studying human anatomy in the past 100 years has not been groundbreaking, but this finding is like zoologists discovering a new species of vertebrate," said Dr. Jens Christoph Türp, professor at the University of Basel, emphasized.

According to Live Science, understanding the new muscle layer could help doctors better perform surgeries in this area, as well as better treat conditions related to the jaw joint to the skull.

According to Live Science