How many muscles are in the human body? It is difficult enough to give a definite answer to this question. Anatomists still have not come to a single figure that can be cited. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to determine which muscles are included in the list and which are not. For example, some muscle tissue cannot really be divided into separate units.
Believe it or not, the science of anatomy is still evolving. No, completely new muscles do not open, but new variations in individual muscle anatomy are more or less constant. In addition, many of them, such as the quadriceps femoris, usually consist of several parts, which traditionally may or may not be considered as one. This makes an unambiguous calculation of their number almost impossible. From this article you will find out how many muscles are in the human body.
Muscle count
When most people ask about the exact amount of muscle, they mean the basic skeletal muscles - the pectoral, deltoid, gluteal, biceps and triceps. However, in the human body there are hundreds of small muscles located in the arms, legs and face.
The approximate figure is about 700 skeletal muscles. This number also includes about 400 muscles, the existence of which, basically, is known only to specialists. They are located around the tongue and voice apparatus, eyeball or pelvic floor.
Muscle types
The number of muscles in our body varies from 640 to 850. It is not possible to determine the exact number, because there are different opinions of specialists about what constitutes a separate unit. Specialists divide muscles into three main types:
Not only the mobility of the body, but also the proper functioning of all physiological processes depends on their clear and well-coordinated work. The nervous system controls the work of all muscle tissues, and ensures their connection with the brain and spinal cord, and also regulates the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy. Let us consider in more detail the main functions of the above types of muscles.
Description of muscle types
Skeletal muscles are responsible for movement. They allow us to perform such mundane actions as getting out of bed, climbing stairs and many others. How many muscles in a person’s body are actually used when walking? About 300 of the total.
The next type of muscle - smooth - they are responsible for the coordinated work of internal organs. For example, some of them are located in the intestinal region and work involuntarily, unlike skeletal ones. The difficulty in counting their number is that it is impossible to say where one smooth muscle ends and another begins. Perhaps that is why they are called smooth. Thus, if we include this muscle in the list of all the muscles of the human body, counting will become really impossible.
On the other hand, of course, there is a single cardiac muscle - the myocardium, which is responsible for the work of the heart and normal blood circulation. Its contractions are not controlled by human consciousness.
Muscle Facts
The following are some interesting facts about human muscles:
- There are about 100 muscles in the body that can be discussed in the gym.
- There are about 200, less noticeable, but any self-respecting massage therapist should know about them.
- There are approximately 400 muscles that only specialists know about, and some of them are of particular interest.
- The smallest muscles are located in the smallest bones located in the ear.
- The largest are the gluteus maximus muscles, which move the legs.
So, we briefly examined some of the anatomical aspects of the structure of man. Now you can easily answer the question of how many muscles are in the human body.