A&P The Muscular System Physiology, Naming, & Physics
Chapter 6
The Muscular System
Interactions of Skeletal Muscles in the Body
• Skeletal 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 the angle or position of one bone relative to another
Brachialisflexes forearm
How Skeletal Muscles Produce Movement
• Origin: the attachment of the muscle to the bone that remains stationary
• Insertion: the attachment of the muscle to the bone that moves
• Belly/Body: the fleshy part of the muscle between the tendons of origin and/or insertion
origin
insertion
body
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
Muscles Named by Location
• Epicranius (around cranium)
• Tibialis anterior (front of tibia)
tibialis 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)• minimis (smallest)• longus (longest)• brevis (short)• major (large)• minor (small)
Psoas major
Psoas minor
Muscles Named by Direction of Fibers
• Rectus (straight)-parallel to long axis
• Transverse
• Oblique
Rectusabdominis
External oblique
• biceps (2)
• triceps (3)
• quadriceps (4)
Muscles Named for Number of Origins
Biceps brachii
Muscles Named for Origin and Insertion
Sternocleidomastoid originates from sternum and clavicle and inserts on mastoid process of temporal bone
origins
insertion
Muscles Named for Action
• Flexor carpi radialis (extensor carpi radialis) –flexes wrist
• Abductor pollicis brevis (adductor pollicis) –flexes thumb
• Abductor magnus – abducts thigh
• Extensor digitorum – extends fingers
Adductormagnus
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 = greater 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.