Asked by: Yosef Folmer
medical health eye and vision conditions

What is the function of the superior rectus?

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It is one of the extraocular muscles. It is innervated by the superior division of the oculomotor nerve (Cranial Nerve III). In the primary position (looking straight ahead), the superior rectus muscle's primary function is elevation, although it also contributes to intorsion and adduction.


Similarly, it is asked, what is the superior rectus?

The superior rectus (also superior rectus muscle, superior rectus extraocular muscle, latin: musculus rectus superior) is one of the six extra-ocular muscles that are in control of eye movements. The superior rectus originates from the upper part of the common tendinous ring, above and lateral to the optic canal.

Additionally, what is the function of the superior oblique? The primary (main) action of the superior oblique muscle is intorsion (internal rotation), the secondary action is depression (primarily in the adducted position) and the tertiary action is abduction (lateral rotation). The extraocular muscles rotate the eyeball around vertical, horizontal and antero-posterior axes.

Moreover, how does the superior rectus move the eye?

The superior rectus and inferior oblique muscles working together pull the eye upward without rotating the eye. To depress the eye while looking straight ahead, the inferior rectus and superior oblique contract together as the superior rectus and inferior oblique relax.

How do you test superior rectus muscle?

To test superior rectus from the inferior oblique, the clinician asks the patient to first look out (or lateral) to orient the visual gaze axis perpendicular to the inferior oblique muscle fiber direction, then up. After the inferior oblique is trapped, the only muscle that can mediate elevation is the superior rectus.

Related Question Answers

Larita Berlinches

Professional

What is the function of the eye muscles?

Specifically, the medial rectus muscle works to keep the pupil closer to the midline of the body. It helps move the eye up and down and from side to side. It also works with the two oblique muscles, whose function is to move the eye in and out.

Kamilla Queiroz

Professional

What does the lateral rectus do?

The lateral rectus muscle is a muscle on the lateral side of the eyeball in the orbit. It is one of six extraocular muscles that control the movements of the eye. The lateral rectus muscle is responsible for lateral movement of the eyeball, specifically abduction.

Sabri Yanovsky

Professional

Where is the medial rectus muscle located?

The medial rectus muscle is a muscle in the orbit. As with most of the muscles of the orbit, it is innervated by the inferior division of the oculomotor nerve (Cranial Nerve III). This muscle shares an origin with several other extrinsic eye muscles, the anulus tendineus, or common tendon.

Yosu Hofpeter

Explainer

What are the extraocular muscles?

The extraocular muscles are the six muscles that control movement of the eye and one muscle that controls eyelid elevation (levator palpebrae). The actions of the six muscles responsible for eye movement depend on the position of the eye at the time of muscle contraction.

Bettyann Guesdon

Explainer

Is the lateral rectus muscle horizontal or vertical?

Horizontal movements are controlled entirely by the medial and lateral rectus muscles; the medial rectus muscle is responsible for adduction, the lateral rectus muscle for abduction. Vertical movements require the coordinated action of the superior and inferior rectus muscles, as well as the oblique muscles.

Eufracia Adelson

Explainer

What is Intorsion?

Medical Definition of intorsion
: inward rotation (as of a body part) about an axis or a fixed point especially : rotation of the eye around its anteroposterior axis so that the upper part moves toward the nose — compare extorsion.

Anatoli Riaza

Pundit

How do you test for superior oblique?

Clinical Significance
Instead, as mentioned above, the superior oblique is tested by having the patient look down and in. By canceling the action of the inferior rectus muscle via contraction of the medial rectus, one can isolate the action of the superior oblique.

Celiano Gasho

Pundit

Which branch of the oculomotor nerve is distributed to the superior rectus muscle?

Branches. The superior division of the oculomotor nerve passes above the optic nerve (CN II) to supply the superior rectus muscle, also giving off a branch that innervates the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. The inferior division of the oculomotor nerve separates into medial, central and lateral branches.

Wendi Nunheiser

Pundit

Is the eye an organ?

The human eye is an organ that reacts to light and allows vision. Rod and cone cells in the retina allow conscious light perception and vision including color differentiation and the perception of depth. The eye is part of the sensory nervous system.

Carmine Manicke

Pundit

What moves the eye around?

The medial rectus causes the eyeball to look inwards; the inferior rectus downwards and the superior rectus upwards. The superior oblique muscle and inferior oblique muscle attach at angles to the eyeball. Most muscles not only move the eye in a cardinal direction, but also slightly rotate the pupil.

Suhong Sokowski

Pundit

How can I strengthen my eye muscles?

How to exercise your eyes
  1. Hold your pointer finger a few inches away from your eye.
  2. Focus on your finger.
  3. Slowly move your finger away from your face, holding your focus.
  4. Look away for a moment, into the distance.
  5. Focus on your outstretched finger and slowly bring it back toward your eye.

Himo Porcu

Teacher

What is the function of the extrinsic eye muscles?

These extrinsic eye muscles are some of the fastest contracting and most precisely controlled skeletal muscles in the human body and function as Agonist & Antagonists pairs to move the eyeball. Superior and Inferior Rectus Muscles, Lateral and Medial Rectus Muscles, Superior and Inferior Oblique Muscle.

Vasylyna Busquier

Teacher

Which part of the brain controls eye movement?

Pons. A deep part of the brain, located in the brainstem, the pons contains many of the control areas for eye and face movements.

Iovana Feitz

Teacher

How do you check eye muscles?

The test itself is simple. Your eye doctor or technician will ask you to sit up straight while you stare at an object in front of you, which is usually a pen, fixation light, or small picture held 12 and 16 inches away. They will move the object up and down and side to side in an H-shaped pattern.

Nouraddine Cumbicus

Teacher

What are the two main refractive bodies in the eye?

Cornea and lens
The cornea and the lens are the eye's most important refractive structures. Light first passes through the cornea, which has a curved surface.

Tomasz Froehlich

Reviewer

Is the Iris a muscle?

Anatomical terms of muscle
The iris sphincter muscle (pupillary sphincter, pupillary constrictor, circular muscle of iris, circular fibers) is a muscle in the part of the eye called the iris. It encircles the pupil of the iris, appropriate to its function as a constrictor of the pupil.

Amarilys Quartana

Reviewer

What are the three layers of the eye?

Three layers
  • The fibrous tunic, also known as the tunica fibrosa oculi, is the outer layer of the eyeball consisting of the cornea and sclera.
  • The vascular tunic, also known as the tunica vasculosa oculi or the "uvea", is the middle vascularized layer which includes the iris, ciliary body, and choroid.

Ives Sudhoff

Reviewer

What is the main function of the Trochlear nerve?

It exits the brain on the dorsal side of the brain stem. The trochlear nerve is a motor nerve, and it controls the superior oblique muscle of the eye. The superior oblique muscle controls the downward movement of the eyeball and, in part, keeps the eyeball from rolling upward into the orbit (eye socket).

Nisamar Fabian

Reviewer

Which way does the superior oblique move the eye?

The trochlear nerve supplies only the superior oblique muscle, which moves the eye downwards and medially towards the nose.