depressor muscle
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A muscle that lowers or depresses a body part: In anatomy, a "depressor muscle" is any skeletal muscle whose primary function is to pull a body part downward or depress it. This action is the opposite of that performed by a levator muscle.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The depressor anguli oris is a facial depressor muscle that pulls the corner of the mouth downward.
- During the examination, the doctor tested the function of the depressor muscle responsible for lowering the eyelid.
Advanced Usage
- Functional Anatomy: In medical terminology, a depressor muscle is often named for the specific structure it depresses (e.g., depressor labii inferioris, depressor septi nasi).
- The primary action of the depressor labii inferioris is to pull the lower lip down and slightly to the side.
Variants and Related Words
- Depressor (noun): A more general term that can refer to a muscle, a nerve, or an instrument used to press something down.
- The tongue depressor is a flat instrument used by doctors to press the tongue down during an examination.
- Depression (noun): The act of lowering or moving a body part downward.
- Levator muscle (noun): An antonym; a muscle that raises or elevates a body part.
Synonyms
- Depressor
- Depressing muscle
Antonyms
- Levator muscle
- Elevator muscle
Related Phrases
- Muscle of depression: A synonymous phrase used in anatomical descriptions.
- The muscle of depression for the scapula is the latissimus dorsi.
Noun
- any skeletal muscle that draws a body part down