Muscular System Vocab

Question 1

adductors

Answer 1

a muscle whose contraction moves a limb or other part of the body toward the mid line of the body or toward another part.

Question 2

biceps brachii

Answer 2

the large muscle in the upper arm that turns the hand to face palm uppermost and flexes the arm and forearm.

Question 3

biceps femoris

Answer 3

the muscle in the back of the thigh that helps to flex the leg.

Question 4

buccinators

Answer 4

a flat, thin muscle in the wall of the cheek.

Question 5

deltoid

Answer 5

triangular muscle covering the joint of the shoulder, the action of which raises the arm away from the side of the body.

Question 6

extensors

Answer 6

a muscle whose contraction extends or straightens a limb or other part of the body, any of the muscles in the arm, hand, leg, and foot.

Question 7

external intercostals

Answer 7

muscles with their origin from the lower border of a rib, with insertion into the upper border of the rib below, with nerve supply from the intercostal nerve.

Question 8

external oblique

Answer 8

muscle of the abdomen, is the largest and the most superficial (outermost) of the three flat muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen.

Question 9

fibularis longus

Answer 9

a superficial muscle in the lateral compartment of the leg, and acts to evert and plantar flex the ankle.

Question 10

flexors

Answer 10

a muscle whose contraction bends a limb or other part of the body.

Question 11

frontalis

Answer 11

(frontal belly) is muscle which covers parts of the skull. currently classified as part of the occipitofrontalis muscle along with the occipitalis muscle.

Question 12

gastrocnemius

Answer 12

muscle of the calf of the leg, which flexes the knee and foot. It runs to the Achilles tendon from two heads attached to the femur.

Question 13

gluteus maximus

Answer 13

any of three muscles in each buttock that move the thigh, the largest of which is the gluteus maximus.

Question 14

gluteus medius

Answer 14

the middle of the three muscles in each buttock that arises from the outer surface of the ilium

Question 15

internal oblique

Answer 15

a muscle in the abdominal wall that lies below the external oblique and just above the transverse abdominal muscles.

Question 16

latissimus dorsi

Answer 16

triangular muscles covering the lower part of the back, extending from the sacral, lumbar, and lower thoracic vertebrae to the armpits.

Question 17

masseter

Answer 17

a muscle that runs through the rear part of the cheek from the temporal bone to the lower jaw on each side and closes the jaw in chewing.

Question 18

orbicularis oculi

Answer 18

a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone.

Question 19

orbicularis oris

Answer 19

a complex of muscles in the lips that encircles the mouth.

Question 20

pectoralis major

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

rectus abdominus

Answer 21

each of a pair of long flat muscles at the front of the abdomen, joining the sternum to the pubis and acting to bend the whole body forward or sideways.

Question 22

rectus femoris

Answer 22

one of the four quadriceps muscles of the human body.

Question 23

sartorius

Answer 23

a long, narrow muscle running obliquely across the front of each thigh from the hipbone to the inside of the leg below the knee.

Question 24

semimembranosus

Answer 24

a muscle in the back of the thigh. It is the most medial of the three hamstring muscles.

Question 25

semitendinosus

Answer 25

a long superficial muscle in the back of the thigh; it is one of the hamstrings.

Question 26

soleus

Answer 26

a broad muscle in the lower calf, below the gastrocnemius, that flexes the foot to point the toes downward.

Question 27

sternocleidomastoid

Answer 27

a pair of long muscles that connect the sternum, clavicle, and mastoid process of the temporal bone and serve to turn and nod the head.

Question 28

temporalis

Answer 28

fan-shaped muscle that runs from the side of the skull to the back of the lower jaw and is involved in closing the mouth and chewing.

Question 29

tibialis anterior

Answer 29

a muscle that originates in the upper two-thirds of the lateral (outside) surface of the tibia and inserts into the medial cuneiform and first metatarsal bones of the foot.

Question 30

trapezius

Answer 30

a pair of large triangular muscles extending over the back of the neck and shoulders and moving the head and shoulder blade.

Question 31

triceps brachii

Answer 31

several muscles having three points of attachment at one end, the large muscle at the back of the upper arm.

Question 32

vastus lateralis

Answer 32

the largest and most powerful part of the quadriceps femoris, a muscle in the thigh.

Question 33

vastus medialis

Answer 33

an extensor muscle located medially in the thigh that extends the knee.

Question 34

zygomaticus

Answer 34

a muscle of facial expression which draws the angle of the mouth superiorly and posteriorly (smile).

Question 35

quadriceps

Answer 35

the large muscle at the front of the thigh, which is divided into four distinct portions and acts to extend the leg.

Question 36

hamstring

Answer 36

five tendons at the back of the knee.