The Muscular System - Basic Terms

Front 1

abduct

Back 1

move away from midline in the sagittal plane

Front 2

abductor

Back 2

moves the bone away from the midline

Front 3

adductor

Back 3

moves the bone toward the midline

Front 4

agonist (prime mover)

Back 4

muscle whose contraction is responsible for producing a particular motion

Front 5

antagonist

Back 5

muscle that opposes the action of an agonist

Front 6

appendicular

Back 6

of the arms and legs

Front 7

axial

Back 7

of the trunk and head

Front 8

belly

Back 8

bulky central body of a muscle

Front 9

bi

Back 9

two

Front 10

bipennate

Back 10

pennate muscle that has fascicles that are located on both sides of the tendon

Front 11

brevis

Back 11

short

Front 12

circular (sphincter)

Back 12

fascicles that are concentrically arranged around an opening

Front 13

convergent

Back 13

fascicles that extend over a broad area and converge on a common attachment site

Front 14

deglutition

Back 14

swallowing

Front 15

extensor

Back 15

muscle that increases the angle at the joint

Front 16

external intercostal

Back 16

superficial intercostal muscles that raise the rib cage

Front 17

external oblique

Back 17

superficial abdominal muscle with fascicles that extend inferiorly and medially

Front 18

extrinsic eye muscles

Back 18

originate outside the eye and insert onto the outer surface of the white of the eye, and createeyeball movement

Front 19

extrinsic muscles of the hand

Back 19

muscles that move the wrists, hands, and fingers and originate on the arm

Front 20

fascicle

Back 20

muscle fibers bundled by perimysium into a unit

Front 21

fixator

Back 21

synergist that assists an agonist by preventing or reducing movement at another joint, thereby stabilizing theorigin of the agonist

Front 22

flexion

Back 22

movement that decreases the angle of a joint

Front 23

flexor

Back 23

muscle that decreases the angle at the joint

Front 24

fusiform

Back 24

muscle that has fascicles that are spindle-shaped to create large bellies

Front 25

gluteal group

Back 25

muscle group that extends, flexes, rotates, adducts, and abducts the femur

Front 26

hamstring group

Back 26

three long muscles on the back of the leg

Front 27

innermost intercostal

Back 27

the deepest intercostal muscles that draw the ribs together

Front 28

insertion

Back 28

end of a skeletal muscle that is attached to the structure (usually a bone) that is moved when the musclecontracts

Front 29

intercostal muscles

Back 29

muscles that span the spaces between the ribs

Front 30

internal intercostal

Back 30

muscles the intermediate intercostal muscles that draw the ribs together

Front 31

intrinsic muscles of the hand

Back 31

muscles that move the wrists, hands, and fingers and originate in the palm

Front 32

longus

Back 32

long

Front 33

mastication

Back 33

chewing

Front 34

maximus

Back 34

largest

Front 35

medialis

Back 35

to the inside

Front 36

medius

Back 36

medium

Front 37

minimus

Back 37

smallest

Front 38

multipennate

Back 38

pennate muscle that has a tendon branching within it

Front 39

oblique

Back 39

at an angle

Front 40

origin

Back 40

end of a skeletal muscle that is attached to another structure (usually a bone) in a fixed position

Front 41

parallel

Back 41

fascicles that extend in the same direction as the long axis of the muscle

Front 42

pectoral girdle

Back 42

shoulder girdle, made up of the clavicle and scapula

Front 43

pelvic girdle

Back 43

hips, a foundation for the lower limb

Front 44

pennate

Back 44

fascicles that are arranged differently based on their angles to the tendon

Front 45

perineum

Back 45

diamond-shaped region between the pubic symphysis, coccyx, and ischial tuberosities

Front 46

plantar group

Back 46

four-layered group of intrinsic foot muscles

Front 47

prime mover

Back 47

(also, agonist) principle muscle involved in an action

Front 48

quadriceps femoris group

Back 48

four muscles, that extend and stabilize the knee

Front 49

rectus

Back 49

straight

Front 50

spinalis group

Back 50

medially placed muscles of the erector spinae

Front 51

spinalis thoracis

Back 51

muscle of the spinalis group associated with the thoracic region

Front 52

sternocleidomastoid

Back 52

major muscle that laterally flexes and rotates the head