Short Interesting Facts About Us, the Human Body & More…
Did You Know That…

The gluteus maximus, pronounced gloo-tee-us mak-suh-mus, is the “largest” muscle in your body.

The gluteus maximus is one of the gluteal muscles. The gluteal muscles are the three muscles that make up the buttocks:

• The gluteus maximus muscle
• The gluteus medius muscle
• The gluteus minimus muscle

The gluteus maximus is large and powerful because it has the job of keeping the trunk of your body in an erect posture.

The gluteus maximus is the chief antigravity muscle that aids in walking up stairs.

There are three types of muscles in the human body:

• Cardiac muscle makes up the wall of the heart and is responsible for the forceful contraction of the heart.
• Smooth muscles make up the walls of the intestine, the uterus, blood vessels, and internal muscles of the eye.
• Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones and in some areas the skin, such as the muscles in the face. Contraction of the skeletal muscles helps limbs and other body parts move.

Most sources state that there are over 650 named skeletal muscles in the human body, although some figures go up to as many as 840.