Muscular System Vocabulary

Muscular System Vocabulary

1. Agonist: (Primary Movers): Muscle(s) whose contraction actually produces movement.

2. Antagonist: One or more muscles that oppose the action of another group of muscles or the pull of gravity. Ex. The antagonist of a flexor muscle is an extensor muscle.

3. Aponeuroses: sheet like tendinous expansion, mainly serving to connect a muscle w/ the parts it moves.

4. Buccinator: Muscle found around the cheek

4. Circumduction: a combination of flexion, extension, abduction & adduction commonly seen in ball & socket joints like the shoulder.

5. Deep Fascia: Sheet of fibrous connective tissue investing the trunk, limbs, & muscles.

6. Endomysium: A fine meshwork of loose connective tissue that surrounds each muscle fiber.

7. Epimysium: a thicker, outer connective tissue sheath which covers the entire muscle.

8. Fasiculi: Groups of 15 – 40 fibers are bound into bundles & is covered by the perimysium.

9. Fixators: Muscles that serve to fix or stabilize a joint to augment the effectiveness of a primary mover (agonist).

10. Gaster: The central fleshy, or meaty contractile position of a muscle also called the belly of a muscle.

11. Insertion: A tendonous extremityby which the muscle is attached to a bone & allows for motion at the distal end of a bone.

12. Oblique: when the muscles fibers run oblique or slanted the name includes oblique.

13. Origin: A tendonous extremityby which the muscle is attached to a bone at the proximal end of a bone & usually remains fixed or stationary when the muscle contracts.

14. Perimysium: a coarse fibrous connective tissue sheath that covers the fassiculi.

15. Pronation: describes the inward rotation of the supinated forearm & hand which causes the palm of the hand to face posteriorly.

16. Protraction: refers to motion that moves a part forward. Reaching for an object involves protraction of the shoulder girdle. Also known as scapular abduction.

17. Rectus: when a muscle fibers are parallel it’s name includes rectus.

18. Retraction: is the motion that returns a protracted body part to its original or usual position . also known as scapular adduction.

19. Smooth Muscle: has no striation & is involuntary (not consciously controlled). Found mainly in the walls of hollow visceral organs ex stomach & bladder & along a definite tract w/in the body. Also called visceral, nonstriated or involuntary muscle.

20. Sprain: a tear in a ligament. The severity is grades as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree or mild, moderate, & severe.

21. Strain: a tear in a muscle or tendon. The severity is grades as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree or mild, moderate, & severe.

22. Striated Muscle: also called skeletal muscle because its fibers appear to be striped. It is a voluntary muscle

23. Superficial Fascia: a continuous sheet of loose connective tissue lies directly under the skin.

24. Supination: occurs at the radioulnar joint. In the anatomical position the hands & forearms are already supinated (palms forward). Outward rotation of hand & forearm.

25. Synergists: Muscles that contract at the same time as the prime mover, assisting or supplementing a primary mover in producing a particular movement.

26. Tendon: a strong, fibrous, extension of the muscle that connects muscles to muscles or muscles to bone.

27. Torticollis or Wryneck: a spasm of one of the neck muscles alone or associated w/the trapezius

28. Naming skeletal Muscles: Muscles are named on the basis of several criteria, each focusing on a particular structural or functional characteristic: They include:

1. Direction of the Muscle Fibers:

2. Relative size of the Muscle:

3. Location of the Muscle.

4. Number of origins:

5. Location of the muscle’s origin & insertion.

6. Shape of the muscle.

7. Action of the muscle.

29. Types of Muscle Fiber Arrangement (6):

1) Parallel or Longitudinal fibers align along the long axis of the muscle ex. Rectus abdominis or Sartorious

2) Radiate : fiber arrangement that converge from a broad area of origin to a narrow insertion ex. Pectoralis major;

3) Multipennate the convergence of fibers in several muscular components ex. Deltoid muscle;

4) Bipennate with fibers directed obliquely from both sides of a central tendon ex. Rectus femoris; (produces strongest contractions)

5) Unipennate exhibits fibers inserting diagonally or slanted on only one side of a similar tendon that runs the entire length of the muscle, much like the feathers in an old fashioned plume pen ex. (produces strongest contractions)

6) Circular fibers bundles are curved to encircle an opening & are typical in sphincter muscles such as the Orbicularis oris.

Gross Skeletal Muscles to Memorize

Frontalis:

Orbicularis Oculi:

Orbicularis Oris:

Buccinator:

Zygomaticus:

Masseter:

Temporalis:

Platysma:

Sternocleidomastoid:

Pectoralis Major:

Intercostal Muscles:

Rectus abdominis:

External oblique:

Internal oblique:

Transversus abdominis:

Trapezius:

Latissimus Dorsi:

Erector Spinae:

Deltoid:

Biceps Brachii:

Brachialis:

Brachioradialis:

Triceps Brachii:

Gluteus maximus:

Gluteus medius:

Iliopsoas:

Biceps femoris:

Semimemgbranosus:

Semitendinosus:

Sartorius:

Rectus Femoris:

Vastus Medialis:

Vastus Lateralis:

Vastus Intermedius:

Tibialis Anterior:

Extensor Digitorum Longus:

Fibularis longus:

Fibularis Brevis:

Fibularis tertius:

Gastrocnemius:

Soleus:

Muscles that move the shoulder:

Muscle

Origin

Insertion

Function

Trapezius

/ Occipital bone
Vertebrae (cervical & thoracic) /

Clavicle

Scapula (spine & acromion) / Raises or lowers shoulder & shrugs them & Extends head when occiput acts as insertion
Pectoralis Minor / Ribs (2nd to 5th ) / Scapula (coracoid) / Pulls shoulder down & forward
Serratus Anterior / Ribs (upper 8 or 9) / Scapula (anterior surface, vertebral border) / Pulls shoulder forward; abducts & rotates it upward.

Muscles that move upper arm:

Muscle

Origin

Insertion

Function

Pectoralis Major

/ Clavicle (medial half)

Sternum

Costal Cartilages of true ribs / Humerus (greater tubercle) / Flexes & adducts humerus
Latissimus Dorsi / Vertebrae(spines of lower thoracic, lumbar & sacral)
Ilium (crest)

Lumbodorsal fascia

/ Humerus (intertubercular groove) / Extends upper arm, adducts upper arm posteriorly
Deltoid / Clavicle
Scapula(spine & acromion / Humerus (deltoid tuberosity) / Abducts upper arm; Assists in flexion & extension of upper arm
Coracobrachialis / Scapula (coracoid process) / Humerus(middle 3rd, medial surface) / Adduction; Assists in flexion & medial rotation of arm.
Supraspinatus / Scapula (supraspinous fossa) / Humerus(greater tubercle) / Assists in abducting arm
Teres Major / Scapula(lower part, axillary border) / Humerus(upper part, anterior surface) / Assists in extension, adduction, & medial rotation of arm.
Teres Minor / Scapula (axillary border) / Humerus (greater tubercle) / Rotates arm outward
Infraspinatus / Scapula (infraspinatus border) / Humerus (greater tubercle) / Rotates arm outward

Muscles that move the lower arm:

Muscle /

Origin

Insertion

Function

Biceps Brachii / Scapula (supraglenoid tuberosity)
Scapula (coracoid) / Radius (tubercle at proximal end) / Flexes elbow & Supinates forearm & hand
Brachialis / Humerus(distal ½ , anterior surface) / Ulna (front of coronoid process / Flexes elbow
Brachioradialis / Humerus(above lateral epicondyle) / Radius (styloid process) / Supinates forearm & hand:Flexes semipronated or semisupinated forearm
Triceps Brachii / Scapula(infraglenoid tubrerosity)
Proximal Humeral head / Ulna (olecranon process) / Extends lower arm. (elbow)
Pronator Teres / Humerus(medial epicondyle)
Ulna(coronoid process) / Radius(middle 3rd of lateral surface) / Pronates & flexes forearm
Supinator / Humerus (lateral epicondyle)
Ulna (proximal 5th ) / Raduis (proximal 3rd ) / Supinates forearm

Muscles that move the Hand:

Muscle

Origin

Insertion

Function

Flexor Carpi Radialis / Humerus(medial epicondyle) / 2nd & 3rd Metacarpal / Flexes wrist & forearm
Abducts hand
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris / Humerus (medial epicondyle)
Ulna (posterior) /

Pisiform bone

3rd ,4th & 5th Metacarpal / Adducts hand
Flexes wrist
Flexor digitorum superficialis / Distal Humerus, ulna & radius /

Middle phalanges of 2nd – 5th metacarpal

/ Flexes wrist & fingers
Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus / Humerus / 2nd & 3rd Metacarpal
(base of) / Extends wrist; Abducts hand (moves toward thumb side when hand supinated)
Extensor Digitorum / Distal Humerus / Distal phalanges of 2nd to 5th fingers / Extends fingers & wrist
Extensor Carpi Ulnaris / Humerus(lateral epicondyle)
Ulna (proximal ¾ ) / 5th Metacarpal
(base of) / Extends hand;
Adducts hand (move toward little finger side when hand supinated)

Muscles that move the thigh:

Muscle /

Origin

Insertion

Function

Iliopsoas (iliacus & psoas major) / Ilium (iliac fossa)
Vertebrae(bodies of 12th thoracic to 5th lumbar) / Femur (small trochanter) / Flexes hip;
Flexes trunk (when femur acts as origin)

Rectus Femoris

/ Ilium(anterior, inferior spine) / Tibia(by way of patellar tendon) / Flexes hip;
Extends lower leg

Gluteus Maximus

/ Ilium(crest & posterior surface)
Sacrum & Coccyx
Sacrotuberous ligament / Femur (proximal)

Iliotibial tract

/ Extends thigh – rotates outward

Gleuteus Medius

/ Ilium (lateral surface) / Femur (greater trochanter) / Abducts thigh – rotates outward; Stabilizes pelvis of femur.

Gleuteus Minimus

/ Ilium (lateral surface) / Femur (greater trochanter) / Abducts thigh; stabilizes pelvis on femur; Rotates thigh medially.
Tensor Fasciae Lata: / Ilium(anterior part of crest) / Tibia (by way of Iliotibial tract) / Abducts thigh; Tightens iliotibial tract
Piriformis / Vertebrae (front of sacrum) / Femur(medial aspect of greater trochanter) / Rotates thigh outward; Abducts thigh; Extends thigh.

Adductor Brevis

Pubic bone

/ Proximal Femur / Adducts thigh

Adductor Longus

Pubic bone

/ Proximal Femur / Adducts thigh

Adductor Magnus

/ Pubic bone / Proximal Femur / Adducts thigh
Gracilis: / Pubic bone(just below symphysis) / Tibia (medial surface behind sartorius) / Adducts thigh & Flexes knee

Muscles of the pelvic floor:

Muscle

Origin

Insertion

Function

Levator Ani / Pubis (posterior surface)
Ischium (spine) /

Coccyx

/ Together form floor of pelvic cavity; support pelvic organs; If these muscles are badly torn @ childbirth or become too relaxed, uterus or bladder my prolapse, that is drop out.
Coccygeus (posterior continuation of levator ani) / Ischium (spine) / Coccyx
Sacrum / Same as levator ani

Muscular System Vocabulary

1. Agonist: (Primary Movers): Muscle(s) whose contraction actually produces movement.

2. Antagonist: One or more muscles that oppose the action of another group of muscles or the pull of gravity. Ex. The antagonist of a flexor muscle is an extensor muscle.

3. Aponeuroses: sheet like tendinous expansion, mainly serving to connect a muscle w/ the parts it moves.

4. Circumduction: a combination of flexion, extension, abduction & adduction commonly seen in ball & socket joints like the shoulder.

5. Deep Fascia: Sheet of fibrous connective tissue investing the trunk, limbs, & muscles.