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Sternocleidomastoid: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.
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Sternocleidomastoid

Superficial oblique neck muscle. Has sternal and clavicular heads. Runs to mastoid process and adjacent superior nuchal line.

Zoom in, then drag to inspect. Keyboard: + / − to zoom, arrows to pan, 0 to reset. Tap the numbered markers to explore parts.

Sternocleidomastoid: magnified reference view with a numbered learning marker. The complete original plate is available in the next view.

Image: OpenStax College · Source / original · CC BY 4.0

Numbered markers and focused views are Mediveerse learning overlays; the original reference is linked above.

Sternocleidomastoid

Neck muscles & regions

Sternocleidomastoid

STRUCTURE & FUNCTION

Understand what you see.

Superficial oblique neck muscle.

Zoom into the original labels. Practise pointing out each structure, then explain it aloud. Diagrams are teaching references; specimen appearance and slide staining vary.

01 / IDENTIFICATION

How to recognise it.

  1. Superficial oblique neck muscle
  2. Has sternal and clavicular heads
  3. Runs to mastoid process and adjacent superior nuchal line
02 / KEY STRUCTURES

Point them out.

Tap a number to open its reference, zoom in and locate the structure. Numbers stay the same across views. This key follows landmarks visible in the reference images.

Related features & study points (3)

Additional relations, attachments or microscopic details to revise alongside this plate. These are separate from its numbered image landmarks.

  • Sternal head
  • Clavicular head
  • Mastoid insertion
03 / VIVA PRACTICE

Think first. Then reveal.

Say your answer aloud before opening the suggested response.

Examiner-style prompts: identify the structure, explain its relations, then answer the applied follow-up. These are revision questions, not authenticated past papers.

01Identify sternocleidomastoid and justify your identification.
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Superficial oblique neck muscle. Has sternal and clavicular heads. Runs to mastoid process and adjacent superior nuchal line.

02What is its motor nerve supply?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Spinal accessory nerve XI, with cervical contributions for proprioception.

03What does unilateral contraction do?
SUGGESTED ANSWER

Tilts the head to the same side and rotates the face to the opposite side.

Read the references.

Credited anatomical plates, microscopy and university teaching references. Individual image credits appear below the viewer. Historical plates can use older terminology; use the lesson text for current names.