Anatomical Position
The position of the body standing erect, arms to the side of the
body, and the palms of the hands turned outward (forward).
Anterior
Before or in front of; refers to the ventral or abdominal side of the body.
Asymmetry
Lack of symmetry or proportion; similarity without identity.
Bilateral
Refers to two sides.
Bilateral View
Referring to an inferior or superior view, which allows comparison of
two sides of an object or facial feature.
Color
A visual sensation; a property of material objects, including sources
of light, by which they are visually distinguished as possessing the
quantities of redness, browness, greenness, grayness, etc.
Concave
Having a spherically depressed or hollow surface.
Convex
Curved evenly; resembling a segment of the outer edge of a sphere.
Concavity
Having a spherically depressed or hollow surface.
Convexity
Curved evenly; resembling a segment of the outer edge of a sphere.
Deep (internal)
Away from the surface.
Depression
A hollow or lowered region; the lowering of a part.
Eminence
A prominence or projection of a bone.
Form
The external shape and appearance apart from color.
Frontal View (Direct View)
Anterior; the anterior view of the face or features.
Horizontal Plane (Transverse Plane)
Cuts across the median plane at a right angle.
Inclination
A line which is neither horizontal or vertical.
Inferior
Beneath; lower; the undersurface of an organ or indicating a
structure below another structure; towards the feet.
Lateral
Toward the side.
Length
A vertical dimension.
Medial
Middle; nears the medial plane.
Median Plane (Mid-sagittal plane)
Vertical plane which divides the body into equal right and left halves.
Norm (Model aka Standard)
The most common characteristics of each feature; typical, common, average.
Oblique feature (Inclination)
Slanting or inclined, neither perpendicular nor horizontal.
Physiognomy
The study of the structures and surface markings of the face and features.
Posterior
Toward the rear or caudal end; toward the back; dorsal.
Profile (silhouette)
An outline of the side view of an object, specifically the human head.
Projection
The act of throwing forward; a part extending beyond the level of its surroundings.
Protrusion
State or condition of being thrust forward or projecting
Recession
The withdrawal of a part from its normal position.
Restorative Art
The care of the deceased to recreate natural form and color.
Superficial (external)
Toward the surface.
Surface plane
A surface exhibiting a minimum curvature, but differing in direction.
Superior
Toward the head.
Symmetry
Correspondence in size, shape, and relative position of parts that
are on opposite sides of the face.
Three Quarter View
View which is taken from 3/4 of the view between the profile view and
the frontal view.
Vertical
Perpendicular to the plane of the horizon, balanced.
Width
The dimension of an object measured across from side to side.
Alveolar process
The ridge projecting from the inferior surface of the maxilla (and
the superior surface of the mandible) which contains the sockets of
the teeth.
Alveolar prognathism
Sockets of the teeth protrude.
Angle of the Mandible
Angle formed by junction of the posterior edge of the ramus of the
mandible and the inferior surfaces of the body of the mandible.
Buccal cavity
The space between the lips and the gums and teeth; the vestibule of
the oral cavity.
Cartilage
A specialized type of dense connective tissue; found between bones
and also comprises structures such as the septum and ear.
Condyle
A rounded eminence at the articulating end of the bone; the posterior
process of the ramus of the mandible.
Coronoid process
Anterior nonarticulating division of the ramus.
Cranium
The part of the skull which encloses the brain.
Crown
The topmost part of the head.
Dental prognathism
Oblique insertion of the teeth.
External auditory meatus
Ear passage; the deep hole located in the inferior portion of the
medial 1/3 of the ear on the anterior border.
Face
Anatomically, the region from the eyes to the base of the chin;
physiognomically, the region from the normal hairline to the base of
the chin.
Foramen Magnus
Opening in the occipital bone through which passes the spinal cord
from the brain; midway between the two mastoid processes.
Frontal bone
The anterior 1/3 of the cranium, forming the forehead.
Frontal eminences
A rounded prominence on either side of the median line and a little
inferior to the center of the frontal bone.
Glabella
Located between the superciliary arches and the inferior part of the
frontal bone at the root of the nose.
Hard palate
The anterior portion of the roof of the mouth.
Incisive fossa
The area between the mental eminence and the inferior incisor teeth.
Infranasal prognathism
Base of the naval cavity protrudes.
Mandibular fossa
Glenoid fossae; the small oval depression on the zygomatic process of
the temporal bone into which the condyle of the mandible articulates,
just anterior to the external auditory meatus.
Mandible
The horseshoe-shaped bone forming the inferior jaw.
Mandibular prognathism
Inferior jaw protrudes.
Mastoid process
The rounded projection on the inferior portion of the temporal bones
just posterior to the lobe of the ear.
Maxilla
A paired bone with several processes that form the skeletal base of
most of the superior face, roof of mouth, sides of the nasal cavity,
and floor of the orbit.
Maxillary prognathism
Superior jaw protrudes.
Mental eminence
A triangular projection on the inferior portion of the anterior mandible.
Nasal bones
Directly inferior to the glabella and it forms a dome over the
superior portion of the nasal cavity; triangular form.
Nasal spine of the maxilla
The sharp, bony projection located medially at the inferior margin of
the nasal cavity.
Occipital bone
Lowest part of the back and base of the cranium, forming a cradle for
the brain.
Parietal bone
Superior portion of the sides and back of the cranium, as well as the
posterior 2/3 of the roof of the cranium.
Parietal eminences
The marked convexity on the outer surface of the parietal bones.
Squama
A recession in the temporal cavity.
Supra orbital margin
The superior rim of the eye sockets.
Supercilliary arches
The inferior part of the forehead just superior to the median ends of
the eyebrows.
Temporal bone
Inferior portion of the sides and base of the cranium, inferior to
the parietal bones and anterior to the occipital bone.
Vomer bone
Bone of the nasal cavity situated between the nasal passages on the
median plane; it forms the inferior and posterior portion of the
septum of the nose.
Zygomatic arch
The processes on the temporal and the zygomatic bones; determines the
widest part of the face.
Zygomatic bone
Diamond-shaped surfaces; forms the cheekbones.
Buccinator (Trumpeter's muscle)
Compresses the cheek, retracts the angle of the mouth.
Corrugator (Frowning muscle)
Draws the eyebrows inferiorly and medially.
Depressor Anguli Oris (Triangularis Muscle)
Depresses the angle of the mouth.
Depressor Labii Inferiorus (Quadratus)
Draws the inferior lip inferiorly and a slightly lateral.
Digastricus
Draws the hyoid bone anteriorly and posteriorly.
Insertion
The attachment of a muscle which moves the most when the muscle
contracts; the ending.
Levator Anguli Oris
Elevates the angle of the mouth.
Levator Labii Superioris
Elevates and extends the superior lip.
Levator Palpebrae Superioris
Raises the superior eyelid.
Levator labii superioris plaque nasi (common elevator)
Elevates the superior lip, dilates the nostrils.
Masseter
Closes the mandible; mastication.
Mentalis
Elevates and protrudes the inferior lip, wrinkles the skin over the chin.
Occipital Frontalis Muscle
Epicranius; draws the scalp posteriorly and anteriorly and raises the eyebrows.
Orbicularis Oris (Puckering Muscle)
Closes the lips.
Orbicularis oculi
Closes the eyelid; compresses the lacrimal sac.
Origin
The attachment of a muscle which moves least when the muscle
contracts; the beginning.
Platysma
Wrinkles the skin of the neck and chest, depresses the mandible and
inferior lip.
Procerus (Concentrating muscle)
Draws the skin of the forehead inferiorly.
Quadratus Labii Superioris
Raises the wings of the nose, deepens the nasolabial sulcus.
Risorius
Draws the angle of the mouth anteriorly.
Sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM)
Rotates and depresses the head.
Temporalis
Closes the mandible; mastication and is the strongest chewing muscle.
Zygomaticus Minor (emphasizes the nasolabial fold)
Draws the superior lip superiorily and anteriorly.
Zygomaticus Major (Laughing or Smiling muscle)
Draws the superior lip posteriorly, superiorily, and anteriorly.
Acquired facial markings
Those developed throughout your lifetime, as a result of repetitious
use of certain muscles.
Angulus oris eminence
The small, convex prominence, lateral to the end of the line of lip
closure of the mouth.
Angulus oris sulcus
The groove at each end of the line of closure of the mouth.
Bucco-facial sulcus
The vertical furrow of the cheek.
Common transverse sulcus
furrow of the upper eyelid found approximately 1/8� - 1/4� from the
line of eye closure
Cords of the neck
Vertical prominence of the neck.
Dimples
Shallow depressions located on the cheek or chin; rounded or vertical.
Fold
An elongated prominence adjoining a surface.
Furrow
A crevice in the skin accompanied by adjacent elevations.
Groove
An elongated depression in a relatively level plane or surface.
Inferior palpebral sulcus
The furrow of the inferior border of the inferior eyelid.
Interciliary sulci
The vertical or transverse furrows between the eyebrows.
Labiomental sulcus
The junction of the inferior lip and the chin, which may appear as a furrow.
Linear sulci
Eyelid furrows which are short and broken, which run horizontally on
the palpebrae themselves and may fan from both the medial and lateral
corners of the eyes.
Mandibular sulcus
The furrow beneath of jawline which rises vertically on the cheek.
Nasal Sulcus
The angular area between the posterior margin of the wing of the nose
and the nasolabial fold.
Nasolabial fold
The eminence of the cheek and adjacent to the mouth; extending from
the superior part of the posterior margin of the wing of the nose to
the side of the mouth.
Nasolabial sulcus
The furrow originating at the superior border of the wing of the nose
and extending to the side of the mouth.
Natural facial markings
Those that are present from birth; hereditary.
Oblique palpebral sulcus
The shallow, curving groove below the medial corner of the eyelids.
Optic facial sulci
Crow's feet; the furrows radiating from the lateral corner of the eye.
Philtrum
The vertical groove located medially on the superior lip.
Platysmal sulci
The transverse, dipping furrow of the neck.
Submental sulcus
The junction of the base of the chin and the submandibular area,
which may appear as a furrow.
Superior palpebral sulcus
The furrow of the superior border of the upper eyelid.
Transverse frontal sulcus
Furrows which cross the forehead; an acquired facial marking.
Vertical
Perpendicular to the plane of the horizon, balanced.
Highlight
Surface lying at right angles to the source of illumination which
reflect the maximum amount of light; the brighter or whiter part.
Shadow
Surfaces which do not lie at right angles to the source of
illumination or are obscured by other surfaces and which reflect
little or no light.