The medial pterygoid muscle, the left medial pterygoid will deviate the jaw to the right and vice versa.
Masseter Temporalis Medial pterygoid Lateral pterygoid
The lateral pterygoid muscle allows us to chew.
lateral pterygoid
The lateral pterygoid muscle is the muscle responsible for protruding the jaw, pulling the jaw sideways, and assisting in opening the mouth. It plays a key role in movements such as chewing and speaking.
Lateral pterygoid (HOLES book, pg 155 part a )
Mastication, or chewing, involves a total of four muscles. These muscles are the masseter, temporalis, medial pterygoid, and lateral pterygoid.
The medial pterygoid muscle is responsible for elevating the jaw and closing the mouth. It also aids in moving the jaw from side to side during chewing.
Temporalis, Masseter and the Medial Pterygoid
Lateral Pterygoid
1- Formed by the junction of greater petroal n + deep petrosal n. 2- Enters the pterygopalatine fossa posteriorly after passing the pterygoid canal and joins the pterygopalatine ganglion on the posterior aspect. 3-it contains: A- Special sensory afferent fibers (Taste) B- Preganglionic parasympthatic fibers. C- Postganglionic sympthatic fibers. Hope that helps!
Gravity plays a large part in opening the jaw, but there are muscles that help forcefully open your jaw. The most important of these is the digastric muscle, which connects from the mastoid process of the temporal bone to the hyoid bone, and then from the hyoid bone to the digastric fossa of the mandible.