Author: Glossary
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Deep neck muscle
One of the various neck muscles that surround the vertebral column and base of the skull and which are contained in the prevertebral cylinder of deep cervical fascia. All these muscles are innervated by cervical spinal nerves, and most of these muscles act primarily to move and stabilize the head.
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Constrictor muscle of pharynx
A muscle that constricts the pharynx; it is important for swallowing.
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Bipennate muscle
A muscle in which the fibers converge from both sides to a central tendon.
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Auditory muscle
The tensor tympani and stapedius muscles.
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Articular muscle
A muscle attached to the capsule of a joint.
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Anconeus muscle
A short muscle along the back of and outside the elbow. It originates from the lateral epicondyle of the humerus, crosses the back of the elbow joint on the same side, attaches to the lateral surface of the olecranon process and the adjacent surface of the ulna. It extends the forearm and abducts the elbow…
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Adductor pollicis muscle
An intrinsic hand muscle that closes the web between the thumb and first finger. The adductor pollicis has two origins: the oblique head begins along the bases of the second and third metacarpals and their adjacent carpals, the transverse head begins on the front (anterior) surface of the shaft of the third metacarpal. Both heads…
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Adductor brevis muscle
A muscle of the medial thigh originating on the ramus of the pubis and inserted in the linea aspera of the femur. It adducts, flexes, and medially rotates the thigh and is controlled by the obturator nerve.
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Abductor pollicis brevis muscle
A thenar muscle (an intrinsic hand muscle) that moves the thumb away from the first finger. It originates in the flexor retinaculum and on the tubercles of the scaphoid and trapezium wrist bones. It attaches to the outside (lateral) base of the proximal phalanx of the thumb. It abducts the thumb and together with the…
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Abductor digiti minimi muscle
An intrinsic hypothenar hand muscle that originates on the pisiform bone of the wrist and attaches along the medial side of the base of the proximal phalanx of the little finger. It acts to abduct the little finger, and it is innervated by a deep branch of the ulnar nerve (C8, Tl). Muscles that separate…