An unusual function for the medial pterygoid muscle in the guinea pig.
This muscle has some physiological properties resembling those of jaw-opening muscles. Biomechanical analysis showed that, because of the anatomical peculiarities of the feeding apparatus in caviid rodents, the action of the muscle changes from closing to opening as the mandibular condyles are protruded in the groove-like mandibular fossa. This unusual changing function may be useful in producing the ventral, medial and anterior power stroke of mastication.
D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006168:Guinea Pigs / Q000502:physiology*; D008409:Mastication; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D011626:Pterygoid Muscles / Q000502:physiology*