Unseen structures discovered in the human body

The research team of Dr Szilvia Mezey from the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Basel and Professor Jens Christoph Türp from the University of Basel's Center for Dental Medicine (UZB) have described a completely new structure in the masseter muscle region of the jaw region. of human.

According to a paper published in the scientific journal Annals of Anatoy, this muscle layer, named "Musculus masseter pars coronidea", has never been identified before.

Graphic depicting structures detected in the human body, specifically the jaw region.

The finding came from anatomical research based on detailed examination of the fixed jaw muscles with formalin, computed tomography and analysis of stained tissues on cadavers donated to science. This special muscle layer will be added to the MRI data to help make imaging in living people more accurate.

Dr. Mezey explained in Medical Xpress: "This deep part of the masseter muscle is clearly distinguishable from the other two layers in terms of its process and function. The arrangement of the muscle fibers suggests that this layer is involved. related to mandibular stability. It seems to be responsible for pulling the mandible backward."

The masseter muscle has long been known to be the most prominent muscle in the jaw muscles. You can feel it by placing your finger on the back of your cheek and gritting your teeth. Traditional anatomy books describe the masseter muscle as two layers, consisting of an outer part and a deep part. The muscle layer has just been discovered lies the deepest, hidden behind 2 known layers.