Skeletal muscles are attached to bones by tendons, and they allow us to move around and maintain an upright posture. Some muscles are only a few inches long, such as the muscles that help you laugh or bend your fingers, while others are large and bulky, like the muscles in your thighs.
But have you ever thought about which one? logic Which is the largest and which is the smallest?
The answer depends on whether you measure muscle by mass or surface area.
The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body, D. Ceri DavisThe former president of the British Anatomical Society told Live Science in an email. The best known is gluteus maximus, the gluteus maximus muscle runs diagonally from the top center of the pelvis to the femur, or thigh bone. According to one study, leg muscles make up about 12% to 13% of the total weight. Adult cadaver research.
“The gluteus maximus stretches the thigh at the hip,” Davis says. “You use it when getting up from a chair, walking over steps or uphill. You need strength to move your entire upper body weight.”
Related: Why is it harder for some people to build muscle than others?
Of course, training for sports that require sufficient gluteal strength – like sprinting — Can increase the size of your gluteus maximus. one small study found that the absolute glute mass of elite sprinters was approximately 45% greater than that of sub-elite sprinters.
And interestingly, the human gluteus maximus larger than an ape or apeAt least compared to overall body size. Some scientists have suggested that their enormous size may be an evolutionary adaptation to something specific. Requirements created by being bipedal, which means to stand upright on two legs. For example, the glutes are essential to a person’s ability to stand upright, climb stairs, and run.
The latissimus dorsi, commonly referred to as the “latis dorsi,” is the largest muscle in the human body in terms of surface area, Davis said.
There are two triangular shaped latissimus dorsi muscles, one on each side of the spine. These wide, flat muscles sit on top of other muscles in the mid and lower back. According to a 2022 survey of International Journal of Morphology, The size of the average adult’s latissimus dorsi muscle is approximately 7 inches (18 centimeters) wide and 14 inches (36 centimeters) long.However, that’s just the thing Thickness 0.5 inch (1.3 cm).
At the other end of the muscle size spectrum is a small muscle called the stapes. ear.Measure Approximately 0.2 inches (5mm) in lengthis the smallest skeletal muscle in the human body.
“The stapes is attached to the stapes, one of the small bones in the middle ear that transmits sound vibrations from the eardrum to the auditory nerve,” Davis said. “Contraction [the] The stapes reduces movement of the stapes and prevents nerve damage caused by loud noises. ”
In other words, the small muscles stabilize the stapes and keep it from vibrating too hard. Muscles involuntarily contract in response to sounds of a certain volume, but if they only respond to very loud sounds, or if they don’t contract at all. May be a sign of hearing loss. Therefore, although the stapes is small, it plays an important role.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice.