Muscular System - Medical Terminology

muscul/lo

muscle

my/o

muscle

myos/o

muscle

fasci/o

fascia (connective tissue that covers muscles)

ten/o

tend/o

tendn/o

tendon

fibr/o

fibrous tissue

kines/o

kinesi/o

movement

-plegia

paralysis

erg/o

work

ton

tone

syndesm/o

ligaments

-asthenia

weakness

-trophy

development/situation

ataxia

lack of muscle coordination

rectus

straight up and down

oblique

diagonal direction

flexion

creates an angle

extension

straighten/open the angle

abduction

bring further from center of the body

adduction

bring away from the center of the body

medial

towards middle

lateral

away from middle

inversion

pulling ankle in

eversion

putting ankle out

pronation

palms down

supination

palms up

plantar flexion

pointing toes down

dorsiflexion

pulls toes up towards shins

rotation

turns on its own axis (neck)

circumduction

circle (ball and socket joints like shoulder)

smooth muscle

hollow organs

• involuntary

• usually covering wall of internal organs

• fibers: non-striated, spindle-shaped, and uninucleated

cardiac muscle

heart

• involuntary

• only covering walls of heart

• fibers: striated, branched, and uninucleated

skeletal muscle

voluntary muscles

• usually attached to skeleton

• fibers: striated, tubular, and multi nucleated

origin

attaches where it is stable/won’t move

insertion

attaches where it is mobile

sprain

injury to ligament

strain

trauma to tendon

criteria for naming muscles

• direction of muscle fibers relative to longitudinal axis of the muscle

• relative size

• location

• location of the origin and insertion

• number of origins

• shape

• action