Sunday, March 1, 2015
Major Muscles on the Front of the Body
Our body has several layers of muscles. This chart shows the outermost layer, called the superficial layer, of our major muscles. Muscles are usually work in pairs because although they can contract and shorten (flex), they are pulled by an opposite (antagonist) muscle to straighten out (extend) again. Sometimes the name of the muscle includes it’s function—such as extensor, flexor, adductor, abductor.
The muscles on the front of the trunk help lift the arms and move the body forward and sideways. They also protect the organs in the abdomen.
