Chapter 10

The Muscular System

J.F. Thompson, Ph.D. & J.R. Schiller, Ph.D. & G. Pitts, Ph.D.
 The Muscular System
Interactions of Skeletal Muscles in the Body

• Muscles usually work in groups, i.e. perform

“group actions”

• Muscles are usually arranged in antagonistic pairs

– flexor-extensor
– abductor-adductor, etc.
 How Skeletal Muscles Produce
Movement
• Muscles exert force on
tendons that pull on bones

• Muscles usually span a

joint

• Muscle contraction changes

Brachialis
the angle or position of one flexes forearm
bone relative to another
 How Skeletal Muscles Produce
Movement
• Origin: the attachment of origin
the muscle to the bone
that remains stationary

• Insertion: the attachment belly

of the muscle to the bone
that moves

• Belly: the fleshy part of

the muscle between the insertion
tendons of origin and/or
insertion
 Interactions of Skeletal Muscles in
the Body
• Prime Mover
(agonist): the
principle muscle that
causes a movement
– ex: biceps brachii,
flexion of forearm

• Antagonist: the
principle muscle that
causes the opposite
movement
– ex: triceps brachii,
extension of forearm
Antagonists of the Forearm
Antagonists of the Thigh
Antagonists of the Foot
Interactions of Skeletal Muscles in
the Body
• Synergists: muscles that assist the prime mover
– ex: extensor carpi (wrist) muscles are synergists for
the flexor digitorum muscles when you clench your
fist

• Fixators: synergists that stabilize the origin of a

prime over
– ex: several back muscles that stabilize scapula when
the deltoid flexes the arm
Functional Roles of Skeletal Muscles
• Group Actions: most movements need several
muscles working together
While the prime movers (agonist and synergists) are
contracting to provide the desired movement
• other muscles (antagonists) are relaxing & being stretched out
passively
• agonist and antagonist change roles depending on the action
• e.g., abduction versus adduction

• Synergists and Fixators become Agonists and

Antagonists in different movements
 Naming Skeletal Muscles
• Location of the muscle
• Shape of the muscle
• Relative Size of the muscle
• Direction/Orientation of the muscle fibers/cells
• Number of Origins
• Location of the Attachments
• Action of the muscle

Know the muscle names as described in Lab Guide 6!

 Muscles Named by Location
• Epicranius (around
cranium)

• Tibialis anterior tibialis

(front of tibia) anterior
 Naming Skeletal Muscles
• Shape:

– deltoid (triangle)

– trapezius (trapezoid)

– serratus (saw-toothed)

– rhomboideus (rhomboid)

– orbicularis and sphincters

(circular) Rhomboideus
major
Muscles Named by Size
• maximus (largest) Psoas
minor
• minimis (smallest)
• longus (longest) Psoas
• brevis (short) major
• major (large)
• minor (small)
Muscles Named by Direction of Fibers
• Rectus
(straight)-
parallel to long Rectus
axis abdominis

• Transverse

• Oblique

External
oblique
 Muscles Named for Number of
Origins
• biceps (2)

• triceps (3)
Biceps
brachii
• quadriceps (4)
 Muscles Named for Origin and
Insertion
Sternocleidomastoid
originates from sternum
and clavicle and inserts insertion
on mastoid process of
temporal bone

origins
 Muscles Named for Action

• Flexor carpi radialis (extensor

carpi radialis) –flexes wrist
• Abductor pollicis brevis
(adductor pollicis) –flexes Adductor
thumb magnus

• Abductor magnus – abducts

thigh
• Extensor digitorum – extends
fingers
 Arrangement of Fascicles

• Parallel (strap-
like), ex: sartorius

• Fusiform (spindle
shaped), ex: biceps
femoris
 Arrangement of Fascicles

• Pennate ("feather
shaped"), ex:
extensor digitorum
longus

• Bipennate, ex:
rectus femoris

• Multipennate, ex:
deltoid
 Arrangement of Fascicles
• Convergent, ex:
pectoralis major

• Circular
(sphincters), ex:
orbicularis oris
 Arrangement of Fascicles
• Range of motion:
depends on length of
muscle fibers (fascicles);
long fibers = large range
of motion
– parallel and fusiform
muscles
• Power: depends on total
number of muscle fibers;
many fibers = great
power
– convergent, pennate,
bipennate, multipennate
 Lever Systems and Leverage
• Lever: i.e. bones, a
rigid rod that moves
on some fixed point
• Fulcrum: i.e. joint, a
fixed point
• Resistance: the force
opposing movement
• Effort: the force
exerted to achieve
action
 Levers
• A lever is acted upon at 2 different points by:
1) resistance or load
• the force that opposes movement
• the load or object (bone or tissue) to be moved
2) effort
• the force exerted to achieve a movement
• the effort is provided by muscle(s)

• Motion is produced when the effort exceeds the

resistance (isotonic contraction)
 Lever Systems and Leverage
• Leverage: the mechanical advantage gained by a
lever

• Power: muscle tension (effort) farther from joint

(fulcrum) produces stronger contraction (opposes
greater resistance)

• Range of motion (ROM): muscle tension

(effort) closer to joint (fulcrum) produces greater
range of motion.
 Mechanical Advantage
• Load is near fulcrum, effort is far away
• Only a small effort is required to move an object
• Allows a heavy object to be moved with a small effort
• Example: car jack
 Mechanical Disadvantage
• Load is far from the fulcrum, effort is near the
fulcrum
– a large effort is required to move the object
– allows object to be moved rapidly, a “speed lever”
– throwing a baseball
 Lever Systems and Leverage
• First-class lever: (EFR) Effort-Fulcrum-Resistance
 Leverage Systems and Leverage
• Second class lever: (FRE) Fulcrum-Resistance-Effort
 Leverage Systems and Leverage
• Third-class lever: (FER) Fulcrum-Effort-Resistance
 Skeletal Muscles

Know the muscles, their

origins and insertions as
described in your Lab Guide 6.
 Additional Information
• You do not need to memorize the details of
the different leverage system types for
Exam 3. See slides of the lever systems
after the “end” slide in this presentation.

• Slides with some examples of the naming

of muscles can be found in the PowerPoint
presentation for Lab 6 and after the “end”
slide in this presentation.
End Chapter 10