What is the chest muscle called?

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The chest muscle is called the pectoralis major. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a large, fan-shaped muscle covering the front of the upper chest.

Summary

The chest muscle is called the pectoralis major. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a large, fan-shaped muscle covering the front of the upper chest.

What it is

  • A large, fan-shaped muscle covering the front of the upper chest.
  • Has a clavicular head above and a sternal head below.
  • Pulls the arm across the chest and rotates it inward.

Where it is

  • On the front of the chest.
  • Arises from the clavicle, sternum, and upper costal cartilages.
  • Inserts into the front of the humerus.

Sources

According to Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (1918, public domain):

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