A muscle is a contractile form of tissue which animals use to effect movement.
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253 Muscle topics matching:
Filter this Collection| x name | x image | x article |
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| x Levator ani |
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The levator ani is a broad, thin muscle, situated on the side of the pelvis.
It is attached to the inner surface of the side of the lesser pelvis, and unites with its fellow of the opposite side to form the greater part of the floor of the pelvic...
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| x Trapezius muscle |
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In human anatomy, the trapezius is a large superficial muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae and laterally to the spine of the scapula (shoulder blade). Its functions are to move the scapulae and...
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| x Biceps brachii muscle |
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In human anatomy, the biceps brachii, or simply biceps in common parlance, is, as the name implies, a two-headed muscle. The biceps lie on the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Both heads arise on the scapula and join to form a single...
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| x Brachioradialis |
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Brachioradialis is a muscle of the forearm that acts to flex the forearm at the elbow. It is also capable of both pronation and supination, depending on the position of the forearm. It is attached to the distal styloid process of the radius by way...
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| x Latissimus dorsi muscle |
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The latissimus dorsi (plural: latissimi dorsi), meaning 'broadest muscle of the back' (Latin latus meaning 'broad', latissimus meaning 'broadest' and dorsum meaning the back), is the larger, flat, dorso-lateral muscle on the trunk, posterior to the...
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| x Brachialis muscle |
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The brachialis (brachialis anticus) is a muscle in the upper arm that flexes the elbow joint. It lies deeper than the biceps brachii, and is a synergist that assists the biceps brachii in flexing at the elbow. It makes up part of the floor of the...
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| x Pronator quadratus |
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Pronator quadratus is a square shaped muscle on the distal forearm that acts to pronate (turn so the palm faces downwards) the hand.
As it is on the anterior side of the arm, it is innervated by a branch of the median nerve, the anterior...
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| x Sartorius muscle |
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The Sartorius muscle – the longest muscle in the human body – is a long thin muscle that runs down the length of the thigh. Its upper portion forms the lateral border of the femoral triangle.
The sartorius muscle arises by tendinous fibres from the...
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| x Lumbricals of the hand |
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The lumbricals are intrinsic muscles of the hand that flex the metacarpophalangeal joints and extend the interphalangeal joints.
There are four of these small, worm-like muscles on each hand. These muscles are unusual in that they do not attach to...
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| x Flexor digitorum profundus muscle |
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In human anatomy, the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP, Latin for "deep bender of the fingers") is a muscle in the forearm that flexes the fingers (also known as digits). It is considered an extrinsic hand muscle because it acts on the hand while its...
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| x Thenar eminence |
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The thenar eminence (from the Greek "θέναρ" - thenar, "palm of the hand" and the Latin word "eminentia", meaning projection,) refers to the group of muscles on the palm of the human hand at the base of the thumb. The skin overlying this region is...
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| x Flexor digitorum superficialis muscle |
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Flexor digitorum superficialis (flexor digitorum sublimis) is an extrinsic flexor muscle of the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal joints.
It is in the anterior compartment of the forearm. It is sometimes considered to be the deepest part of...
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| x Extensor carpi radialis longus muscle |
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Extensor carpi radialis longus is one of the five main muscles that control movements at the wrist. This muscle is quite long, starting on the lateral side of the humerus, and attaching to the base of the second metacarpal bone (metacarpal of the...
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| x Extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle |
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The Extensor carpi radialis brevis is shorter and thicker than the extensor carpi radialis longus. The longus muscle can be found above the distal end of the Extensor carpi radialis brevis.
It arises from the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, by...
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| x Extensor carpi ulnaris muscle |
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In human anatomy, the extensor carpi ulnaris is a skeletal muscle located on the ulnar side of the forearm. It acts to extend and adduct at the carpus/wrist.
Being an extensor muscle, extensor carpi ulnaris is on the posterior side of the forearm....
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| x Flexor carpi radialis muscle |
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In anatomy, flexor carpi radialis is a muscle of the human forearm that acts to flex and (radial) abduct the hand.
This muscle originates on the medial epicondyle of the humerus. It runs just laterally of flexor digitorum superficialis and inserts...
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| x Fibularis longus |
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In human anatomy, the peroneus longus (also known as fibularis longus) is a superficial muscle in the lateral compartment of the leg, and acts to evert and plantar flex the ankle.
It is situated at the upper part of the lateral side of the leg, and...
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| x Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle |
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The levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle is, translated from Latin, the "lifter of the upper lip and of the wing of the nose". It has the longest name of any muscle in an animal. The muscle is sometimes documented as Otto's muscle as the...
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| x Extensor hallucis longus muscle |
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The Extensor hallucis longus is a thin muscle, situated between the Tibialis anterior and the Extensor digitorum longus that functions to extend the big toe, dorsiflex the foot, and assists with foot inversion.
It arises from the anterior surface of...
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| x Temporalis muscle |
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The temporal muscle, also known as the temporalis, is one of the muscles of mastication. It covers much of the temporal bone.
It arises from the temporal fossa and the deep part of temporal fascia. It passes medial to the zygomatic arch and inserts...
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| x Ischiocavernosus muscle |
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The ischiocavernosus muscle is a muscle just below the surface of the perineum, present in both men and women.
It helps flex the anus, and (in males) stabilize the erect penis or (in females) tense the vagina during orgasm. Kegel exercises (also...
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| x Cremaster muscle |
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The cremaster muscle is a muscle that covers the testis.
Its function is to raise and lower the testes in order to regulate the temperature of the testes and promote spermatogenesis. Contraction may also occur during arousal which can prevent injury...
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| x Sternocleidomastoid muscle |
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In human anatomy, the sternocleidomastoid muscle ( /ˌstɜrnɵˌkliːdɵˈmæstɔɪd/), also known as sternomastoid and commonly abbreviated as SCM, is a paired muscle in the superficial layers of the anterior portion of the neck. It acts to flex and rotate...
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| x Deltoid muscle |
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In human anatomy, the deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder. Anatomically, it appears to be made up of three distinct sets of fibers though electromyography suggests that it consists of at least seven groups that...
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| x Bulbospongiosus muscle |
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Bulbospongiosus (bulbocavernosus in older texts) is one of the superficial muscles of the perineum. It has a slightly different origin, insertion and function in males and females. In males, it covers the bulb of the penis. In females, it covers the...
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| x Gluteus maximus muscle |
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The gluteus maximus (also known as glutæus maximus or, collectively with the gluteus medius and minimus, the glutes) is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles. It makes up a large portion of the shape and appearance of the...
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| x Gluteus medius muscle |
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The gluteus medius (or glutæus medius), one of the three gluteal muscles, is a broad, thick, radiating muscle, situated on the outer surface of the pelvis.
Its posterior third is covered by the gluteus maximus, its anterior two-thirds by the gluteal...
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| x Gluteus minimus muscle |
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The gluteus minimus (or glutæus minimus), the smallest of the three gluteal muscles, is situated immediately beneath the gluteus medius.
It is fan-shaped, arising from the outer surface of the ilium, between the anterior and inferior gluteal lines,...
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| x Superior oblique muscle |
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For the abdominal muscle see: Abdominal external oblique muscle
The superior oblique muscle, or obliquus oculi superior, is a fusiform muscle originating in the upper, medial side of the orbit (i.e. from beside the nose) which abducts, depresses...
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| x Levator scapulae muscle |
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In human anatomy, the levator scapulae is a skeletal muscle situated at the back and side of the neck. As the name suggests, its main function is to lift the scapula.
Levator scapulae originates from the dorsal tubercles of the transverse processes...
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| x Rhomboid major muscle |
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The rhomboid major is a skeletal muscle on the back that connects the scapula with the vertebrae of the spinal column. In human anatomy, it acts together with the rhomboid minor to keep the scapula pressed against thoracic wall and to retract the...
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| x Rhomboid minor muscle |
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In human anatomy, the rhomboid minor is a small skeletal muscle on the back that connects the scapula with the vertebrae of the spinal column.
Located inferior to levator scapulae and superior to rhomboid major, it acts together with the latter to...
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| x Pectoralis major muscle |
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The pectoralis major is a thick, fan-shaped muscle, situated at the chest (anterior) of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles in the male and lies under the breast in the female. Underneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis...
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| x Pectoralis minor muscle |
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The pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the pectoralis major in the human body.
It arises from the upper margins and outer surfaces of the third, fourth, and fifth ribs, near their...
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| x Dartos |
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The dartos fascia is a fat-free layer of smooth muscular fiber outside the external spermatic fascia but below the skin. It is a continuation of Scarpa's fascia, which is a fatty layer of the subcutaneous tissue in the abdominal wall. The wrinkled ...
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| x Pubococcygeus muscle |
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The pubococcygeus muscle or PC muscle is a hammock-like muscle, found in both sexes, that stretches from the pubic bone to the coccyx (tail bone) forming the floor of the pelvic cavity and supporting the pelvic organs. It is part of the levator ani...
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| x Extensor digiti minimi muscle |
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The extensor minimi digiti (extensor digiti quinti proprius) is a slender muscle of the forearm, placed on the ulnar side of the Extensor digitorum communis, with which it is generally connected.
It arises from the common Extensor tendon by a thin...
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| x Omohyoid muscle |
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The omohyoid muscle is a muscle at the front of the neck that consists of two bellies separated by an intermediate tendon. It belongs to the group of infrahyoid muscles. Its name derives from the Greek "omos" meaning shoulder, giving one of its...
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| x Digastric muscle |
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The digastric muscle (also digastricus) (named digastric as it has two bellies) is a small muscle located under the jaw. The term "digastric muscle" refers to this specific muscle. However, other muscles that have two separate muscle bellies include...
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| x Quadriceps muscle |
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The quadriceps femoris (Latin for "four-headed muscle of the femur"), also called simply the quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, quads, is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the great...
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| x Piriformis muscle |
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The piriformis (from Latin piriformis = "pear shaped") is a muscle in the gluteal region of the lower limb. It was first named by Spigelius, a professor from the University of Padua in the 16th century.
It originates from the anterior (front) part...
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| x Rectus abdominis muscle |
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The rectus abdominis muscle, also known as the "six pack", is a paired muscle running vertically on each side of the anterior wall of the human abdomen (and in some other animals). There are two parallel muscles, separated by a midline band of...
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| x Teres minor muscle |
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The teres minor (Latin teres meaning 'rounded') is a narrow, elongated muscle of the rotator cuff.
It arises from the dorsal surface of the axillary border of the scapula for the upper two-thirds of its extent, and from two aponeurotic laminæ, one...
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| x Triceps brachii muscle |
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The triceps brachii muscle (Latin for "three-headed arm muscle") is the large muscle on the back of the upper limb of many vertebrates. It is the muscle principally responsible for extension of the elbow joint (straightening of the arm).
It is...
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| x Buccinator muscle |
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The buccinator is a thin quadrilateral muscle, occupying the interval between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face.
Its purpose is to pull back the angle of the mouth and to flatten the cheek area, which aids in holding the cheek to...
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| x Orbicularis oris muscle |
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In human anatomy, the orbicularis oris muscle is the sphincter muscle around the mouth. "Orbicularis Oris is a complex of muscles in the lips that encircle the mouth; until recently it was misinterpreted as a sphincter, or circular muscle, but it is...
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| x Obliquus capitis inferior muscle |
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The obliquus capitis inferior muscle is the larger of the two oblique muscles of the neck. It arises from the apex of the spinous process of the axis and passes laterally and slightly upward, to be inserted into the lower and back part of the...
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| x Obliquus capitis superior muscle |
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The Obliquus capitis superior muscle arises from the lateral mass of the atlas bone. It passes superiorly and posteriorly to insert into the lateral half of the inferior nuchal line. It is innervated by the suboccipital nerve, the dorsal ramus of...
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| x Procerus muscle |
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The Procerus is a small pyramidal slip of muscle deep to the superior orbital nerve, artery and vein.
It arises by tendinous fibers from the fascia covering the lower part of the nasal bone and upper part of the lateral nasal cartilage.
It is...
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| x Pectineus muscle |
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The pectineus muscle (from the Latin word pecten, meaning comb) is a flat, quadrangular muscle, situated at the anterior part of the upper and medial aspect of the thigh.
It can be classified in the medial compartment of thigh (when the function is...
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| x Masseter muscle |
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In human anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication.
In the animal kingdom, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter.
The masseter is a thick, somewhat quadrilateral muscle, consisting of two...
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| x Tibialis posterior muscle |
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The tibialis posterior is the most central of all the leg muscles, and is located in the posterior compartment of the leg.
It is the key stabilizing muscle of the lower leg.
Blood is supplied to the muscle by the posterior tibial artery, and...
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| x Auriculares muscles |
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The auricular muscles are the three muscles surrounding the auricula or outer ear:
In other animals these muscles serve to swivel the auricula to point in the direction of interesting sounds; in most humans all they can manage is a feeble wiggle....
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| x Coccygeus muscle |
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The Coccygeus is a muscle of the pelvic wall (i.e. peripheral to the pelvic floor), located posterior to levator ani and anterior to the sacrospinous ligament.
It is a triangular plane of muscular and tendinous fibers, arising by its apex from the...
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| x Levator palpebrae superioris muscle |
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The levator palpebrae superioris (latin for: elevating muscle of upper eyelid) is the muscle in the orbit that elevates the superior (upper) eyelid.
The levator palpebrae superioris originates on the lesser wing of the sphenoid bone, just above the...
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| x Superior rectus muscle |
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The superior rectus muscle is a muscle in the orbit. 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...
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| x Inferior rectus muscle |
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The inferior rectus muscle is a muscle in the orbit.
It depresses, adducts, and helps extort (rotate laterally) the eye.
The inferior rectus muscle is the only muscle that is capable of depressing the pupil when it is in a fully abducted position....
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| x Lateral rectus muscle |
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The lateral rectus muscle is a muscle in the orbit. It is one of six extraocular muscles that control the movements of the eye (abduction in this case) and the only muscle innervated by the abducens nerve, cranial nerve VI.
Its function is to bring...
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| x Medial rectus muscle |
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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...
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| x Inferior oblique muscle |
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The Obliquus oculi inferior (inferior oblique) is a thin, narrow muscle placed near the anterior margin of the floor of the orbit.
Its actions are extorsion, elevation and abduction of the eye.
Primary action is extorsion; secondary action is...
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