| Muscle | Action |
| 1. Temporalis | Elevates mandible |
| 2. Epicranius (frontal belly)* | Elevates eyebrows & wrinkles forehead |
| 3. Orbicularis oculi | Closes eye |
| 4. Orbicularis oris | Closes mouth, puckers lips |
| 5. Zygomaticus major | Elevates corners of lips |
| 6. Buccinator | Compresses cheeks |
| 7. Risorius | Draws corners of lips laterally |
| 8. Masseter | Elevates mandible |
| 9. Sternocleidomastoid | Flexes & laterally rotates neck |
| 10. Middle & posterior scalenes | Elevate 1st & 2nd ribs; flex neck |
| 11. Trapezius | Elevates, retracts, depresses, or rotates scapula upward; elevates clavicle; extend neck |
| 12. Levator scapulae | Elevates scapula |
| 13. Splenius capitis | Extends neck (in tandem); rotates & laterally flexes neck to same side (single) |
| 14. Epicranius (occipital belly)** | Tenses & retracts scalp |
*Some anatomy instructors identify this muscle as:
- Frontalis
- Frontal belly of occipitofrontalis
**Some anatomy instructors identify this muscle as:
- Occipitalis
- Occipital belly of occipitofrontalis