How many skeletal muscles are there in the human body?
- Around 450 skeletal muscles.
- Around 500 skeletal muscles.
- Around 550 skeletal muscles.
- Around 600 skeletal muscles.
Correct answer: 4; “There are about 600 [skeletal] muscles in the human muscular system…” (Saladin, 2018, p.309).
There is a great disparity between sources on the exact number of skeletal muscles within the human body, ranging from 600 to 840.
A majority of sources state there are 640 skeletal muscles, usually presented as 320 pairs.
The disparity comes from those that count the muscles within a complex muscle which, in practical terms, only really affects specialists.
Reference
Saladin, K.S. (2018) Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function. 8th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Advertisements
