Flexor
Flexor
Flexor (/ˈflɛksər/), from the Latin word flexus, meaning "bent", is a term used in anatomy to refer to a muscle that decreases the angle between two bones at a joint, effectively bending or flexing the joint. This is in contrast to an extensor, which increases the angle and straightens the joint.
Etymology
The term "flexor" is derived from the Latin word flexus, which means "bent". It is related to the verb flectere, meaning "to bend".
Types of Flexors
There are many types of flexor muscles in the human body, including:
- Flexor carpi radialis: A muscle of the human forearm that acts to flex and (radially) abduct the hand.
- Flexor carpi ulnaris: A muscle of the human forearm that acts to flex and adduct the hand.
- Flexor digitorum profundus: A muscle in the forearm of humans that flexes the fingers (also known as digits).
- Flexor digitorum superficialis: A muscle in the forearm of humans that flexes the fingers.
- Flexor hallucis longus: A muscle in the lower leg that flexes the big toe.
- Flexor pollicis longus: A muscle in the forearm that flexes the thumb.
Related Terms
- Flexion: The action of bending or the condition of being bent.
- Extensor: A muscle whose contraction extends or straightens a limb or other part of the body.
- Muscle contraction: The activation of tension-generating sites within muscle fibers.
- Anatomy: The branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Flexor
- Wikipedia's article - Flexor
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski