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Abdominal & Pelvic Muscles
The flat muscles and rectus abdominis that form the abdominal wall and the body’s natural corset, the diaphragm that powers breathing, and levator ani, the main muscle of the pelvic floor.
This page lists all 9 of them in the reference. Open any muscle for its origin, insertion, actions, nerve supply and clinical pearl.
| Muscle | Main actions | Nerve supply |
|---|---|---|
| Cremaster | Raises the testis toward the body (cremasteric reflex) | Genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve (L1–L2) |
| Diaphragm | Main muscle of breathing in — flattens and descends, drawing air into the lungs; Raises abdominal pressure for coughing and straining | Phrenic nerve (C3–C5) |
| External Oblique | Rotates the trunk to the opposite side; Flexes and side-bends the trunk | Lower intercostal nerves (T7–T12) |
| Internal Oblique | Rotates the trunk to the same side; Flexes and side-bends the trunk | Lower intercostal nerves and iliohypogastric/ilioinguinal nerves (L1) |
| Levator Ani | Supports the pelvic organs; Resists rises in abdominal pressure | Nerve to levator ani (S4) and pudendal nerve branches |
| Psoas Major | Flexes the thigh at the hip; Flexes the trunk when the thigh is fixed | Ventral rami of L1–L3 |
| Pyramidalis | Tenses the linea alba | Subcostal nerve (T12) |
| Rectus Abdominis | Flexes the trunk (sit-up motion); Compresses the abdomen | Lower intercostal nerves (T7–T12) |
| Transversus Abdominis | Compresses and supports the abdomen (the body's natural corset); Stabilises the trunk | Lower intercostal nerves and iliohypogastric/ilioinguinal nerves (L1) |
Please note: This page is an anatomy education summary for students and curious readers, not medical advice. Attachment points are given in their classic short form; individual anatomy varies, and detailed dissection-level descriptions belong in an anatomy atlas.