muscles of the body

Frontalis - Raises eyebrows, wrinkles skin of forehead
horizontally

Occipitalis - Pulls scalp posteriorly

orbicularis oculi- Closes eye, pulls skin around the eyes (as in
blinking and winking)

orbicularis oris- Closes and protrudes lips (as in puckering the lips
for a kiss)

buccinator- Manipulates food during chewing
Expels air through pursed lips (as in blowing a
trumpet)

zygomaticus major- Pulls angle of mouth superiorly and laterally (as in
smiling or laughing)

zygomaticus minor - Raises lateral portion of upper lip to expose upper
teeth (as in smiling)

platysma- Lowers lower lip and opens mouth by depressing
the mandible

massester- Elevates the mandible
The masseter is the prime mover of jaw closure

temporalis - Elevates and retracts the mandible

digastric- Depresses mandible
Fixator of the hyoid bone during swallowing

mylohyoid - Elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth,
assisting tongue to push food toward the
pharynx

sternohyoid- Depresses hyoid bone and larynx

sternocleidomastoid- Bilateral (together) action: Flexes head (chin
moves towards the chest)
Unilateral (individual) action: Flex and rotate the
head toward opposite side
Accessory muscle of respiration

scalenes: Bilateral action:
Flexes head
Elevate rib cage with vertebral column during
forced inspiration

anterior scalene-
Unilateral action: Moves head
laterally
Accessory muscle of respiration

middle scalene- Unilateral action: Moves head
laterally
Accessory muscle of respiration

posterior scalene - Unilateral action: Moves head
laterally
Accessory muscle of respiration

trapezius- Elevates the scapula
Rotates scapula upward
Extends head

deltoid- Abducts the arm
Secondarily flexes and extends arm

latissimus dorsi- Adducts and extends the arm
Rotates arm medially

supraspinatus - Assists abduction of arm
Holds the humerus and stabilizes the
shoulder joint

infraspinatus- Laterally rotates the humerus
Stabilizes shoulder joint

subscapularis - Adducts and rotates arm medially
Stabilizes shoulder joint

teres minor - Laterally rotates the humerus
Stabilizes shoulder joint

teres major- Adducts, extends and rotates arm
medially

levator scapulae- Elevates scapula

rhomboid minor- Retracts scapula

rhomboid major- Retracts scapula

splenius capitis- Extends the head
Rotates the head to the same side as the
contracting muscle

pectoralis major -Flexes and adducts the arm
Rotates arm medially

pectoralis minor - Flexes and adducts the arm
Rotates arm medially

serratus anterior -Protracts scapula
Assists in upward rotation of scapula

diaphragm - Flattens to lower floor of thoracic cavity to
increase volume and decrease pressure,
thereby causing inspiration

external intercostals - Elevates rib cage, spreading the ribs,
assisting in inspiration

internal intercostals- Depresses the rib cage, pulling ribs closer
together, assisting in expiration

external oblique - Flexes and laterally bends the trunk
Compresses abdominal cavity

internal oblique- Flexes and laterally bends the trunk
Compresses abdominal cavity

transverse abdominus- Compresses abdominal cavity

rectus abdominus - Flexes the trunk, with the vertebral
column fixed, compresses abdominal
cavity

biceps brachii- Flexes elbow
Supinates forearm

brachialis - Flexes elbow

triceps brachii - Extends elbow

pronator teres - Pronates forearm

flexor carpi radialis - Flexes the wrist
Abducts the hand

palmaris longus - Flexes wrist
Tenses dense connective tissue of palm

flexor carpi ulnaris - Flexes the wrist
Adducts the hand

extensor carpi radialis longus - Extends the wrist
Abducts the hand

extensor carpi radialis brevis - Extends the wrist
Abducts the hand

extensor digitorum - Extends wrist
Extends fingers

extensor digiti minimi - Extends little finger

extensor carpi ulnaris - Extends the wrist,
Adducts the hand

branchioradialis - Flexes elbow

illiopsos- flexes thigh

illiacus - Flexes the thigh and stabilizes
thigh in standing

psoas major - Flexes the thigh, laterally
bends vertebral column

sartorius - Flexes, abducts and laterally rotates the
thigh; flexes the leg at the knee

rectus femoris - Extends the knee and
flexes the thigh

vastus lateralis - Extend the
knee, stabilize the patella

vastus intermedius - Extends the knee

vastus medialis - Extend the
knee, stabilize the patella

pectineus- Adducts, flexes and medially rotates the
thigh

adductor longus - Adducts, medially rotates and flexes the
thigh

adductor magnus - Adducts and medially rotates the thigh

adductor brevis - Adducts, medially rotates and flexes the
thigh

gracilis - Adducts and medially rotates the thigh,
flexes the leg

biceps femoris- Extends the thigh, flexes the knee

semitendinosus- Extends the thigh, flexes the knee

semimembranosus - Extends the thigh, flexes the knee

gluteus maximus - Extends, abducts and laterally rotates the
thigh

gluteus medius - Abducts and medially rotates the thigh
Stabilizes pelvis while walking

tensor fascia lata - Abducts, flexes and medially rotates the
thigh

tibialis anterior- dorsiflexes the foot, inverts the foot

extensor digitorum longus - dorsiflexes the food, extends the toes

extensor hallucis longus- dorsiflexes the foot, extends the great toe

fibularis (peroneus) longus- everts the foot, plantar flexes the foot

fibularis (peroneus) brevis- Everts the foot, plantar flexes the foot

gastrocnemius- plantar flexes the foot, assists with flexing the knee

soleus- plantar flexes the foot

plantaris- plantar flexes the foot, assists with flexing the knee

flexor digitorum longus- flexes the toes, stabilizes foot

flexor hallucis longus- flexes the great toe