Muscular System

Anatomists name skeletal muscles according to several criteria, each highlighting a specific feature of the muscle. These criteria include the muscle's shape, relative size, location within the body or attachment points to the skeleton, number of origins and specific function. The anatomical location or relation of a muscle to a particular bone often determines its name. the frontalis muscle is named for its position over the frontal bone of the skull. Muscle shape can also be distinctive, with names such as orbicularis indicating a circular form. In the gluteal region, muscle size is reflected in names such as gluteus maximus (largest), gluteus medius (medium) and gluteus minimus (smallest). Names also indicate length, such as in brevis (short) and longus (long), or position relative to the midline, as in lateralis (further from the midline) and medialis (closer to the midline). Muscle fiber direction and fascicle orientation are also descriptive; for example, the rectus (straight) abdominis and oblique (angled) muscles of the abdomen are named for their alignment relative to the body's midline. *LICENSES AND ATTRIBUTIONS CC licensed content, Shared previously, Naming Skeletal Muscles, Authored by: OpenStax College. License: CC BY: Attribution. License Terms: Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/FL6Dj0EF@3/Naming-Skeletal-Muscles*