Cheek
Cheeks (Latin: buccae) constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve. The area between the inside of the cheek and the teeth and gums is called the vestibule or buccal pouch or buccal cavity and forms part of the mouth. In other animals the cheeks may also be referred to as jowls.
Structure
Cheeks are fleshy in humans, the skin being suspended by the chin and the jaws, and forming the lateral wall of the human mouth, visibly touching the cheekbone below the eye. The inside of the cheek is lined with a mucous membrane (buccal mucosa, part of the oral mucosa).
During mastication (chewing), the cheeks and tongue between them serve to keep the food between the teeth.
Other animals
The cheeks are covered externally by hairy skin, and internally by stratified squamous epithelium. This is mostly smooth, but may have aborally directed papillae (e.g.: ruminants). The mucosa is supplied with secretions from the Buccal glands, which are arranged in superior and inferior groups. In carnivores, the superior buccal gland is large and discrete: the Zygomatic gland. During mastication (chewing), the cheeks and tongue between them serve to keep the food between the teeth.
Cheek (surname)
Cheek is an old family surname from Anglo-Saxon England that predates the Norman invasion. The Cheek family was among the first to immigrate to the US colonies in the early 17th century.
The family crest is a white shield with three red crescents.
Some prominent members of the Cheek family:
Cheek (disambiguation)
The cheek is the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear.
Cheek or Cheeks may also refer to:
