helicis major

{{Short description|Muscle of the outer ear}}

{{Infobox muscle

| Name = Helicis major

| Latin = musculus helicis major

| Image = Gray906.png

| Caption = The muscles of the ear (Helicis major visible at center right).

| Image2 =

| Caption2 =

| Origin = Spina helicis

| Insertion = Anterior border of the helix

| Blood = Auricular branches of posterior auricular and auricular branch of occipital arteries

| Nerve = Facial nerve

| Action =

| Antagonist =

}}

The helicis major (or large muscle of helix{{Cite web|url=http://www.medilexicon.com/medicaldictionary.php/?t=56793|publisher=MediLexicon International Ltd|title=Definition: 'Helicis Major (muscle)'|accessdate=9 March 2013}}) is an intrinsic muscle of the outer ear.

In human anatomy, it is the form of a narrow vertical band situated upon the anterior margin of the helix, at the point where the helix becomes transverse.

It arises below, from the spina helicis, and is inserted into the anterior border of the helix, just where it is about to curve backward.{{Cite web|url=http://www.anatomyexpert.com/structure_detail/5981/|publisher=AnatomyExpert|title=Helicis major|accessdate=9 March 2013}}

The function of the muscle is to adjust the shape of the ear by depressing the anterior margin of the ear cartilage. While the muscle modifies the auricular shape only minimally in the majority of individuals, this action could increase the opening into the external acoustic meatus in some.

The helicis major is developmentally derived from the second pharyngeal arch. It seem that only in primates is the helicis minor and major two distinctive muscles.{{cite book|last1=Diogo |first1=Rui |last2=Wood |first2=Bernard |title=Comparative Anatomy and Phylogeny of Primate Muscles and Human Evolution |date=11 January 2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TvdZlBn83NsC&q=helicis+major&pg=PA371 |publisher=Taylor & Francis Inc |isbn=978-1-57808-767-9 |page=371 }}