The following is a list of muscles you will need to know for your physiology class. Be sure to check the flash card list given in class. Included with the name is the origin and insertion and the action the muscle creates. They are organized by location/action. For those muscles which do not have a specific link to an image, examine the image for that group of muscles (hi-lighted titles for each chart).
| Name | Origin to insertion | Action |
| Epicranius: Frontalis & Occipitalis | Cranial aponeurosis to eyebrows | Raises the eyebrows |
| Orbicularis oculi | Portions of the frontal and maxilla to the Skin around eyes | Blinks and closes eyes |
| Orbicularis oris | Skin around mouth | Closes and protrudes lips |
| Buccinator | Mandible/maxilla to skin around mouth | Flattens cheek against teeth |
| Zygomaticus | Zygomatic bone to corner of lips | Raises corner of mouth |
| Platysma | Fascia of chest to lower border of mandible | Draws mouth downward |
| Masseter | Temporal bone to mandible | Closes jaw |
| Temporalis | Temporal bone to mandible | Closes jaw |
| Sternocleidomastoid | Sternum/clavicle to temporal bone | Flexes neck, rotates head, raises the sternum |
| Splenius capitis | Cervical/Thoracic vertebrae to Mastoid process | Rotate head, move to one side, holds head upright |
| Semispinalis capitis | Cervical/Thoracic vertebrae to Occipital bone | Extends head, rotate head, move to one side |
| Pectoralis major | Sternum/clavicle/ first to sixth ribs to proximal/anterior humerus | Adducts and flexes humerus; pulls arm across chest, medial rotation of arm |
| Pectoralis minor | Sternal edge of upper ribs to the corocoid of scapula | pulls scapula down and forward;raises ribs when shoulder held still |
| Rectus abdominis | Pubis to sternum/xiphoid/fifth to seven ribs | Flexes vertebral column |
| External oblique | Last eight ribs to iliac crest | Flexes vertebral column |
| Trapezius | Occipital bone/ Thoracic Vert (Spinous Process) to Scapular Spine, Acromion and Clavicle | Raises arm, raise, lower, rotate and pull scapula medially |
| Rhomboideus | Thoracic vertebrae (Spinous Process) to Medial border of Scapula | Raises and adducts scapula |
| Latissimus dorsi | Lower spine(sacral, lumbar and thoracic vertebrae), Iliac Crest to proximal, anterior humerus | Extends, adducts, medial rotation of humerus, pulls shoulder down and back |
| Biceps brachii | Scapula (Coracoid) to radial tuberosity | Flexes elbow and supinates hand |
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Scapula (lateral edge)/ proximal, posterior humerus to ulna (olecranon) | Extends elbow |
| Pronator teres | Medial epicondyle of humerus to distal/lateral radius | Rotates arm medially; Pronation |
| Pronator Quadratus | Medial/distal ulna to anterior/lateral/distal radius | Rotates arm medially; Pronation |
| Supinator | Lateral epicondyle of humerus to distal radius | Rotates forearm laterally; Supination |
| Teres major | Scapula (inf. angle) to prox/anterior humerus head | Extends humerus, adducts and rotates arm medially |
| Teres minor | Scapula (lower/medial border) to humerus head (greater tubercle) | Rotates arm laterally |
| Deltoid | Scapular spine/clavicle to proximal humerus (deltoid tuberosity) | Abducts humerus, rotates humerus laterally and medially |
| Supraspinatus | Scapula (superior Spine) to humerus head (greater tubercle) | Abducts upper arm |
| Infraspinatus | Scapula (inferior Spine) to humerus head (greater tubercle) | Rotates arm laterally |
| Levator scapulae | Cervical vertebrae (Transvere process) to superior/medial scapula | Elevates the scapula |
| Brachialis | anterior/distal Humerus to ulna | flex the Elbow |
| Subscapularis | Anterior scapula to Lesser Tubercle of Humerus | Medial rotation of Humerus |
| Flexor carpi radialis | Distal humerus (medial epicondyle) to second and third metacarpals | Flexes wrist and abducts hand |
| Flexor carpi ulnaris | Distal humerus (medial epicondyle)/ulna to carpals of wrist | Flexes wrist and adducts hand |
| Flexor digitorum | Distal humerus (medial epicondyle)/ulna to middle phalanges of second to fifth fingers | Flexes wrists and fingers |
| Palmaris longus | Medial epicondyle of humerus to fascia of palm | Flexes wrist |
| Extensor carpi ulnaris | distal Humerus (lateral epicondyle) to dorsal surface of fifth metacarpals | Extends wrists and abducts hand |
| Extensor carpi radialis | distal Humerus (lateral epicondyle) to dorsal surface of second and third metacarpals | Extends wrists and abducts hand |
| Extensor digitorum | Distal humerus (lateral epicondyle) to dorsum of second to fifth fingers | Extends fingers/wrist |
| Psoas major | lower vertebrae (T12-L5) to lesser trochanter of femur | Flexes hip |
| Adductor muscles | Pubis to proximal/medial femur | Adducts thigh (Flexion & Medial Rotation) |
| Sartorius | Ilium (anterior crest) to medial tibia (tuberosity) | Flexes thigh on hip; Lateral Rotation of hip; Flexes Knee |
Quadriceps:Rectus femoris Vastus lateralis Vastus medialis |
Vasti: Femur to tibial tuberosity through patellar tendon Rectus femoris: Anterior Ilium near acetabulum to tibial tuberosity through patellar tendon |
All extend knee; rectus femoris also flexes hip on thigh |
| Gastrocnemius | Distal femur (condyles) to calcaneus (heel) through Achilles tendon | Plantarflexes ankle and flexes knee |
| Peroneus(longus & brevis) | Fibula (lateral head) to metatarsals of foot (base) | Plantarflexes and everts foot |
| Extensor digitorum longus | Lateral/Anterior tibia to dorsal second and third phlanges | Dorsal flexion of foot and extension of toes |
| Flexor digitorum longus | Posterior tibia to dorsal phlanges | Plantar flexion of foot and flexion of toes |
| Soleus | Head of fibula, posterior tibia to calcaneous | Plantar flexion of foot |
| Gluteus maximus | Sacrum/iliac crest to proximal femur (Greater Trochanter) | Extends hip; Lateral rotation |
| Gluteus medius | Iliac crest to proximal femur (Greater Trochanter) | Abducts thigh |
| Gluteus minimus | Iliac crest to proximal femur (Greater Trochanter) | Abducts thigh |
| Semi's: Ischium to medial/proximal tibial condyles (posterior) Biceps: |
Flexes knee and extends hip. Semi's rotate legs medially, Biceps rotates laterally | |
| Tensor fasciae | Illiac crest to fascia of thigh | Abducts, flexes, and rotates thigh medially; Supports lateral knee through tensing fascia of lateral leg |
| Gracilis | Lower pubic symphysis to medial tibia (condyle) | Adducts thigh, flexes and rotates leg medially at knee |
| Tibialis posterior | Tibia/Fibula to dorsal Tarsal/Metatarsal of the foot | Plantarflexion |
| Tibialis anterior | Proximal tibia, lateral condyle ventral Tarsal/Metatarsal of the foot | Dorsiflexes and inverts foot |