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What are the criteria used for naming muscles according to the chapter on the muscular system?

Muscles can be named based on several criteria, including their location, the direction of their fibers, size, shape, number of attachment points, or their action. For instance, a muscle that produces flexion is termed a flexor, while the suffix -ceps indicates the number of heads in a muscle's attachment.

Key points

  • Criteria for naming muscles include location, fiber direction, size, shape, number of attachment points, and action.
  • Examples of naming criteria include 'flexor' for muscles producing flexion and '-ceps' for the number of heads.
  • Muscle names may incorporate more than one naming criterion.
Source:Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide, Ninth Edition· Muscular System· p. 208–227

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Cover of Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide, Ninth Edition

Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide, Ninth Edition

Barbara Janson Cohen, Shirley Jones

Ninth Edition · Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC, an Ascend Learning Company

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