Agonist - Also known as the primer move.

A muscle that is primarily responsible for the

movement.
Synergist - A muscle that assists the prime mover muscle.
Fixator - A muscle that stabilizes the origin of the prime mover (i.e. holds it in place) so that the
prime mover can act more efficiently.
Antagonist - A muscle in opposition to the action of a prime mover muscle. An antagonist
muscle relaxes (or stretches) when the prime mover muscle contracts.

NAMING MUSCLES OF THE BODY

Two Points
One end is pulled by the muscle to create movement. The end of the muscle that
creates movement is called the insertion of the muscle.
The other end of the muscle stays fixed and the part of the muscle that moves is moved towards
this fixed point. The fixed end of a muscle is called the origin of the muscle.

Characteristic Examples Human muscles

named this way
Direction of muscle Rectus – parallel Rectus abdominis
fasciclesrelative to
muscle midline. Transverse – Transversus
perpendicular abdominis

Oblique – at a 45° External oblique

angle
Location of or body Frontal bone Frontalis
part covered by the
muscle Tibia Tibialis anterior
Relative size Maximus – largest Gluteus maximus

Longus – longest Palmaris longus

Brevus – shortest Peroneus longus

Major – larger of a pair Teres major

Minor – smaller of a pair Teres minor

Number of origins Biceps – two origins Biceps brachii

Triceps – three origins Triceps brachii

Location of origin or insertion Origin at sternum Sternocleidomastoid

Origin at clavicle

Insertion at mastoid process

Shape Deltoid – triangular Deltoid

Trapezius – trapezoidal Trapezius

Serratus – saw-tooth edge Serratus anterior

Orbicularis – circular Orbicularis oris

Action of muscle Flexion Flexor carpi radialis

Extension Extensor digitorum

Adduction Adductor longus

Term Type of movement around the joint

Flexion Decreasing the angle between two bones

Dorsiflexion Decreasing the angle between the foot and shin

 Decreasing the angle between the toes and bottom of the foot(pointing
Plantar flexion
toes)

Extension Increasing the angle between two bones

Abduction Moving a body part away from the midline

Adduction Moving a body part towards the midline

Circumduction Movement in a circular or cone-shaped motion

Rotation Turning movement of a bone about its long axis

Rotation of the forearm or foot so that the palm or sole ismoved to face
Supination
anteriorly

Rotation of the forearm or foot so that the palm or sole ismoved to face
Pronation
posteriorly

Inversion Sole of the foot moved to face medially

Eversion Sole of the foot moved to face laterally

Retraction Movement in the posterior direction

Protraction Movement in the anterior direction.

Elevation Lifting a body part

Depression Returning a body part to pre-elevated position

THE MUSCLES OF THE HEAD AND NECK

A single platysma muscle is only shown in the lateral view of the head muscles in the figure.
There are two platysma muscles, one on each side of the neck. Each is a broad sheet of a muscle
that covers most of the anterior neck on that side of the body. The other anterior neck muscles
are below them, and most models have the platysma muscles cut away to show the
deeper muscles. The platysma muscles help pull down the lower jaw (mandible.)

Under the platysma are two sternocleidomastoid muscles. One on each side of the neck.
These muscles have two origins, one on the sternum and the other on the clavicle. They insert
on the mastoid process of the temporal bone. They can flex or extend the head, or can rotate
the towards the shoulders.

The epicranius muscle is also very broad and covers most of the top of the
head. The epicranius muscle includes a middle section which is all aponeurosis. The actual
muscle tissue is only found over the forehead (the portion of the muscle called
the epicranius frontalis; sometimes called the frontal belly of the epicranius) and the back of the
head (the portion of the muscle called the epicranius occipitalis; sometimes called the occipital
belly of the epicranius).

The buccinator muscles, one on each side of the face, compress the cheeks when contracted.
The name is from the Latin for trumpet, which requires blowing air out of the cheeks to play, and
also reflects the anatomical adjective for the cheek, buccal.

The two masseter muscles are also on each side of the face. They close the jaw when contracted.
Its name is derived from the same Greek root as mastication, which means to chew.

The zygomaticus major muscles and the zygomaticus minor muscles are found on each side of
the face both have their origins on the zygomatic bone. They both can change the shape of
the mouth by elevating it.
The zygomaticus major muscles and the zygomaticus minor muscles are found on each side of
the face both have their origins on the zygomatic bone. They both can change the shape of
the mouth by elevating it.
THE MUSCLES OF THE TRUNK
The deltoid muscles are the triangular muscles over each shoulder.
The pectoralis major muscles at each breast.
The latissimus dorsi muscle covers most of the lower back with its lateral fibers.

The upper back is covered by the large trapezius muscle that is almost diamond-shaped as
it extends from the neck, out to the shoulders, then tapers in midway down the back.
Obliques are the external oblique muscle whose fibers angle down as it covers both sides of the
abdominal region. The external oblique muscle has two sets of fibers, which cover the left and
right abdomen, that are connected by a wide aponeurosis sheet in the center of the abdomen.
In most muscle models that aponeurosis sheet is cut away to reveal the rectus abdominis
muscles below it.
Under the external oblique are the internal obliques on the sides of the abdomen and
the rectus abdominis muscle in-between the internal obliques. The fibers of
the internal obliques run up at an angle, opposite in direction to the fiber angle of the
external obliques. The rectus abdominis muscle is also known as the abs.
The deepest layer has the transverse abdominis muscle, whose fibers run laterally. Its fibers are
concentrated at the sides of the abdomen and, like the external oblique, has an aponeurosis
covering the medial abdomen under the rectus abdominis.
Extending from the back and wrapping around the sides of the rib cage is the serratus
anterior muscle. This muscle’s anterior edges are serrated like the teeth of a saw because this
muscle’s origins are on ribs 1 through 8 and each serration is the attachment point to another
rib.
THE MUSCLES OF THE ROTATOR CUFF
The rotator cuff is the name given to the group of four muscles that are largely responsible for
the ability to rotate the arm.
Three of the four rotator cuff muscles are deep to the deltoid and trapezius muscles and cannot
be seen unless those muscles are first removed and one is on the anterior side of the
scapula bone and cannot be seen from the surface.
On the anterior side of scapula bone is a single muscle, the subscapularis. It is triangular
in shape and covers the entire bone. Its origin is along the fossa that makes up most of the
“wing” of the scapula and it inserts on the lesser tubercle of the humerus bone.
On the posterior side of the scapula bone are the other three muscles of the rotator cuff. All
three insert on the greater tubercle of the humerus, allowing them, in combination with the
subscapularis, to control rotation of the arm. The supraspinatus muscle is above the spine of the
scapula. The infraspinatus muscle is below the spine of the scapula. The relatively
thin teres minor muscle is the most inferior of the rotator cuff muscles.
The teres major muscle has its origin on the scapula, like the rotator cuff muscles, but is
not involved in rotating the arm. It inserts lower on the humerus than the rotator cuff muscles
and is involved in adducting the arm (bringing it closer to the midline of the body.)
THE MUSCLES OF THE UPPER ARM

• Anatomists refer to the upper arm as just the arm or the brachium. (The lower
arm is the forearm or antebrachium.)
• There are three muscles on the upper arm that are parallel to the long axis of
the humerus, the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the triceps brachii.
The biceps brachii is on the anterior side of the humerus and is the prime mover (agonist)
responsible for flexing the forearm. It has two origins (hence the “biceps” part of its name), both
of which attach to the scapula bone. It inserts on the radius bone. The biceps brachii has two
synergist muscles that assist it in flexing the forearm. Both are found on the anterior side of the
arm and forearm.
The origin of the brachialis is on the humerus bone and it inserts on the radius bone. Parts on the
brachialis can be seen peeking out from under the biceps brachii, especially lower on the arm.
On the posterior side of the arm is the triceps brachii muscle. It the antagonist to the
biceps brachii.
When the triceps brachii contracts it extends the forearm, undoing any flexing brought
about by contractions of the biceps brachii. As a result, when the triceps brachii is
contracted, the biceps brachii and its synergists must be relaxed, and vice versa.
The triceps brachii has three origins, called the long head, the lateral head, and the medial head.
It is easiest to view the triceps brachii from the posterior, but the medial head and its origin are
deep to the lateral head and the long head, and so is the medial head of the triceps brachii is
partially obscured from the posterior.
THE MUSCLES OF THE LOWER ARM AND
HAND
THE MUSCLES OF THE HIPS AND THIGHS

• There are three layers of gluteal muscles on the posterior hips, just like there
are three layers of muscles in the abdominal trunk.
• The largest of them is the most superficial muscle, the gluteus maximus. Its origin
is on the ilium of the coxal bone, and it inserts part-way down the shaft of the femur.
It helps maintain erect posture, abducts the thigh, and rotates the thigh outward.
• Below the gluteus maximus is the smaller gluteus medius. The
gluteus medius muscle helps abducts the thigh along with the gluteus maximus, but can
rotate the thigh inward where the gluteus maximus rotates the thigh outward.

• The gluteus medius are several muscles, one of which is the gluteus minimus,
the smallest of the gluteal muscles. It is a synergist for the gluteus medius.
• Like the forearm, the upper leg, or thigh, has a dense arrangement of many muscles. On
the anterior side, the most prominent of the muscles are the sartorius muscle and the
four muscles that make up quadriceps muscle group (the “quads”.)

• The quadriceps sounds like it should be just one muscle, akin to the triceps brachii, but it
is a group of four muscles, three visible on the surface, and the fourth obscured. The
 three surface muscles of the quadriceps are the rectus femoris in the center,
the vastus medialis on the medial side, and the vastus lateralis on the lateral side.
• Below the rectus femoris and largely hidden by it is the vastus intermedius.

• The four muscle of the quadriceps all extend the lower leg, and the
rectus femoris additionally can flex the thigh at the hip.
The sartorius muscle is a distinctively long and thin muscle that crosses the thigh
diagonally. Sartorius comes from the Latin for tailor, and this is sometimes called the tailor’s
muscle, although the reasons for the nickname are obscure. It may be because the shape of the
muscle is thin and long, like a tailor’s measuring tape; it may be because it is close to the inseam
a tailor measures when tailoring pants, or it may be because it helps bring about the cross-
legged position that tailors often adopt when working.
In the posterior thigh the bulk of the musculature is made up of three long muscles that are
collectively called the hamstrings. The origin of this nickname is obscure, but it may have to do
with the practice of butchers of hanging the thighs of butchered animals such as pig
(the “hams”) by the tendons of these three muscles.
Move from the medial edge to the lateral edge of the posterior thigh, the
hamstring muscles are the semimembranous muscle, the semitendinosus muscle, and
the biceps femoris muscle.

Notice the upper leg has a “biceps” muscle just like the upper arm does. This is
why you have to indicate which biceps you are taking about when discussing one or other
of these muscles. On the medial edge of the posterior thigh is the gracilis muscle. It is also
visible on the medial edge of the thigh from the anterior.
THE MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LEG AND FOOT
The muscles of the lower leg, called simply the leg by anatomists, largely move the foot and toes.
The major muscles of the lower leg, other than the gastrocnemius which is cut away.
The gastrocnemius muscle has two large bellies, called the medial head and the lateral head, and
inserts into the calcaneus bone of the foot via its calcaneal tendon (also known as the Achilles
tendon.)
The soleus muscle is deep to the gastrocnemius, and the two muscles serve together as the calf
of the leg.