Article # 102. Muscle

Muscle

Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. There are three types of muscle in the body. Muscle which is responsible for moving extremities and external areas of the body is called "skeletal muscle." Heart muscle is called "cardiac muscle." Muscle that is in the walls of arteries and bowel is called "smooth muscle."

A body tissue composed of sheets or bundles of cells that contract to produce movement or increase tension. Muscle cells contain filaments made of the proteins actin and myosin, which lie parallel to each other. When a muscle is signaled to contract, the actin and myosin filaments slide past each other in an overlapping pattern. Skeletal muscle effects voluntary movement and is made up of bundles of elongated cells (muscle fibers), each of which contains many nuclei. Smooth muscle provides the contractile force for the internal organs and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped and each contains a single nucleus. Cardiac muscle makes up the muscle of the heart and consists of a mesh-work of striated cells.

There are approximately 650 skeletal muscles within the typical human. However, it is difficult to define the exact number as different sources name and group muscles differently. There are not 650 names on this list as there if often more than one occurrence of these muscles, for example on each limb.

abductor digiti minimi (foot)  abductor digiti minimi (hand)  abductor hallucis  abductor pollicis brevis  abductor pollicis longus  adductor brevis  adductor hallucis  adductor longus  adductor magnus  adductor pollicis  anconeus  articularis cubiti  articularis genu  aryepiglotticus  aryjordanicus  auricularis  biceps brachii  biceps femoris  brachialis  brachioradialis  buccinator  bulbospongiosus  constrictor of pharynx -inferior  constrictor of pharynx -middle  constrictor of pharynx -superior  coracobrachialis  corrugator supercilii  cremaster  cricothyroid  dartos  deep transverse perinei  deltoid  depressor anguli oris  depressor labii inferioris  diaphragm  digastric  erector spinae - spinalis  erector spinae - iliocostalis  erector spinae - longissimus  extensor carpi radialis brevis  extensor carpi radialis longus  extensor carpi ulnaris  extensor digiti minimi (hand)  extensor digitorum (hand)  extensor digitorum brevis (foot)  extensor digitorum longus (foot)  extensor hallucis longus extensor indicis  extensor pollicis brevis  extensor pollicis longus  external oblique abdominis  flexor carpi radialis  flexor carpi ulnaris  flexor digiti minimi brevis (foot)  flexor digiti minimi brevis (hand)  flexor digitorum brevis  flexor digitorum longus (foot)  flexor digitorum profundus  flexor digitorum superficialis  flexor hallucis brevis  flexor hallucis longus  flexor pollicis brevis  flexor pollicis longus  frontalis  gastrocnemius  gemellus inferior gemellus superior genioglossus  geniohyoid  gluteus maximus  gluteus medius  gluteus minimus  gracilis  hyoglossus

iliacus  inferior oblique  inferior rectus  infraspinatus  intercostals external  intercostals innermost  intercostals internal  internal oblique abdominis  interossei - dorsal of hand  interossei -dorsal of foot  interossei- palmar of hand  interossei - plantar of foot  interspinales  intertransversarii  intrinsic muscles of tongue ishiocavernosus lateral cricoarytenoid  lateral pterygoid  lateral rectus  latissimus dorsi  levator anguli oris  levator ani-coccygeus  levator ani - iliococcygeus  levator ani-pubococcygeus  levator ani-puborectalis  levator ani-pubovaginalis  levator labii superioris  levator labii superioris alaeque nasi  levator palpebrae superioris levator scapulae  levator veli palatini  levatores costarum  longus capitis  longus colli  lumbricals of foot lumbricals of hand  masseter  medial pterygoid  medial rectus  mentalis  m. uvulae  mylohyoid  nasalis  oblique arytenoid  obliquus capitis inferior  obliquus capitis superior  obturator externus  obturator internus  omohyoid  opponens digiti minimi (hand)  opponens pollicis  orbicularis oculi  orbicularis oris  palatoglossus  palatopharyngeus  palmaris brevis  palmaris longus  pectineus  pectoralis major  pectoralis minor  peroneus brevis  peroneus longus  peroneus tertius  piriformis  plantaris  platysma  popliteus  posterior cricoarytenoid  procerus  pronator quadratus  pronator teres  psoas major  psoas minor  pyramidalis

quadratus femoris quadratus lumborum  quadratus plantae  rectus abdominis  rectus capitus anterior  rectus capitus lateralis  rectus capitus posterior major  rectus capitus posterior minor  rectus femoris  rhomboid major  rhomboid minor  risorius salpingopharyngeus  sartorius  scalenus anterior  scalenus medius  scalenus minimus  scalenus posterior  semimembranosus  semitendinosus  serratus anterior  serratus posterior inferior serratus posterior superior  soleus  sphincter ani  sphincter urethrae  splenius capitis  splenius cervicis  stapedius  sternocleidomastoid  sternohyoid  sternothyroid  styloglossus  stylohyoid  stylopharyngeus  subclavius  subcostalis  subscapularis  superficial transverse  perinei  superior oblique  superior rectus  supinator  supraspinatus  temporalis  temporoparietalis  tensor fasciae lata  tensor tympani  tensor veli palatini  teres major  teres minor  thyro-arytenoid & vocalis thyro-epiglotticus  thyrohyoid  tibialis anterior  tibialis posterior  transverse arytenoid  transversospinalis -multifidus  transversospinalis -rotatores  transversospinalis -semispinalis  transversus abdominis  transversus thoracis  trapezius  triceps  vastus intermedius  vastus lateralis  vastus medialis  zygomaticus major  zygomaticus minor