Muscles of expressions

We blush and our face suddenly turns rosy red. So also, when we are enraged. When terrified our skin suddenly turns pale white. Such changes are brought about by the changes in circulation. Smooth muscles in arterioles are responsible for such kind of changes. Embarrassment, fear, uneasiness, avoidance, happiness,leave their own telltale signs and can be known if one observes faces carefully.

A cat purrs and expresses its contentedness. It lies on its back and half closes its eyes. A cat raises its tail and trembles its tip to show love for you. They lash their tail as a warning signal.

A dog moves its ears in different ways to show alertness, suspicion, and relaxation. The tail of dog wags to show pleasure, tucking it between legs expresses fear. Baring the teeth, wrinkling the nose etc. have their own meanings. Dogs also use sounds to communicate with other dogs and when tamed, to humans living with them.

Monkeys have their body language and use sounds too to communicate. When happy they emit a sound similar to our laughter. The vocal communication in animals primarily is for mating calls and for establishing social hierarchy i.e. basically to establish a power structure. Here is an interesting account of personal experience of the author with monkeys and their body language. http://www.animalsexoticandsmall.com/feb...

Muscles in larynx, that is the voice box, thus can be considered muscles of expression. Human larynx has extrinsic and the intrinsic muscles. Examples of extrinsic muscles are the - cricothyroids, arytenoids. With the help of these muscles we can change tension in vocal ligaments and produce various kinds of sounds. We speak while we exhale that is blow the air out of our lungs. Diaphragm and anterior abdominal muscles help in prolonged exhalation and in speech.

Fear is expressed by many animals including man by trembling, erection of hair all over the body and by crouching or curling of the body.

Insects, especially, social insects communicate mainly by scents (pheromones). Some insects use their antennae to touch each other and give signals. Others use their wings. Insects have muscles in between the plates made of chitin, a tough but flexible polysaccharide, at their back and at their belly. (Please refer to my article "Skin the wonderwrap-13" - http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/our_... These muscles between sterna and terga are used for moving wings up and down. Honeybees dance and let others of their beehive know in which direction and how far away the store of food lies.

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