Which muscle raises eyebrows and wrinkles the forehead?

• A. Frontalis
• B. Orbicularis Oris
• C. Orbicularis Oculi
• D. Zygomaticus Major

Answer: (A)

The action of raising the eyebrows and wrinkling the forehead is performed by the frontalis muscle. This muscle sits on the forehead and, when it contracts, it pulls the skin of the eyebrows upward and the scalp slightly forward, creating horizontal wrinkles across the forehead. It’s the front part of the larger occipitofrontalis muscle, with its fibers attaching to the galea aponeurotica and the skin above the eyes.

The other muscles listed do different jobs: orbicularis oculi surrounds the eye and closes the eyelids, orbicularis oris encircles and shapes the lips, and zygomaticus major lifts the corners of the mouth in smiling.