What is Origin in muscular system?
- In the muscular system, the origin refers to the point of attachment of a muscle to the bone that remains relatively stationary or fixed during muscular contraction. In other words, it is the attachment point of the muscle that is closest to the body’s midline or center. The origin is typically located proximal to the muscle’s insertion point, which is the point of attachment of the muscle to the bone that moves during muscular contraction.
- For example, the biceps brachii muscle has two heads, with the long head originating from the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula and the short head originating from the coracoid process of the scapula. Both heads converge to form the biceps tendon, which inserts onto the radial tuberosity of the radius bone in the forearm. During biceps contraction, the muscle fibers shorten and pull on the tendon, causing the forearm to flex at the elbow joint. The scapula, being a relatively stable bone during this movement, serves as the origin point for the biceps muscle.