orbicularis oculi muscle

anatomy

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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muscles of human facial expression Muscles of facial expression.

The orbicularis oculi muscle is a circular muscle surrounding the eye socket. It is primarily responsible for closing the eyelids, a crucial action for protecting the eye from foreign bodies and maintaining corneal moisture. This muscle has two main parts: the orbital portion, which closes the eyes tightly, and the palpebral portion, which is responsible for blinking.12

The orbicularis oculi muscle receives motor signals from the facial nerve (the seventh cranial nerve). When this muscle contracts, it brings the eyelids together. The opening of the eye is primarily achieved by the contraction of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle of the upper lid, which works in opposition to the orbicularis oculi.321

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human eye
The eyelids
…muscular layer containing principally the orbicularis oculi muscle, responsible for lid closure; (3) a fibrous layer that gives the lid its mechanical stability, its principal portions being the tarsal plates, which border directly upon the opening between the lids, called the palpebral aperture; and (4) the innermost layer of the…
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…muscular layer containing principally the orbicularis oculi muscle, responsible for lid closure; (3) a fibrous layer that gives the lid its mechanical stability, its principal portions being the tarsal plates, which border directly upon the opening between the lids, called the palpebral aperture; and (4) the innermost layer of the…
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eyelid
…a circular lid-closing muscle, the orbicularis oculi, and of the lid-raising muscle, the levator of the upper lid. Impulses for closing come by way of the facial (seventh cranial) nerve, and for opening by way of the oculomotor (third cranial) nerve. The lid borders are kept lubricated by an oily…
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…a circular lid-closing muscle, the orbicularis oculi, and of the lid-raising muscle, the levator of the upper lid. Impulses for closing come by way of the facial (seventh cranial) nerve, and for opening by way of the oculomotor (third cranial) nerve. The lid borders are kept lubricated by an oily…
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