Pectoralis major — Anatomy Notes, Diagram & Quiz

The Pectoralis major is located in the chest. Adducts and medially rotates humerus. The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle.

Pectoralis major highlighted in a 3D model of the human body
Pectoralis major highlighted in the 3D body atlas. 3D atlas: BodyParts3D (DBCLS, CC BY-SA 2.1 Japan); Écorché/Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0). Rendered in anotemy.

Key facts

Pectoralis major at a glance
LocationChest
Main functionAdducts and medially rotates humerus.
Layersuperficial muscles
Key fact 1The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle.
Key fact 2The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm.
Key fact 3The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

Where is the Pectoralis major located?

The Pectoralis major is located in the chest.

The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle.

What does the Pectoralis major do?

Adducts and medially rotates humerus.

The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm.

What to know for exams

  • The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle.
  • The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm.
  • The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

It belongs to the superficial muscles layer. Learn its location, relations, and the structures it works with.

Clinical relevance

The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

Link the pectoralis major to its blood supply, innervation and relations. That is how exam questions usually test it.

Memory aid: Pectoralis major

The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle. The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm. The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

Chain it as location → function → clinical link when you revise.

Pectoralis major anatomy quiz

Five questions. Open each answer after you commit to a response.

  1. Where is the Pectoralis major located?

    Reveal answer

    Chest

  2. What is the main function of the Pectoralis major?

    Reveal answer

    Adducts and medially rotates humerus.

  3. Give one key fact about the Pectoralis major.

    Reveal answer

    The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle.

  4. Give another key fact about the Pectoralis major.

    Reveal answer

    The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm.

  5. What clinical link is associated with the Pectoralis major?

    Reveal answer

    The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

Common questions

Where is the Pectoralis major located?

The Pectoralis major is located in the chest. The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle.

What does the Pectoralis major do?

Adducts and medially rotates humerus. The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm.

What is a key fact about the Pectoralis major?

The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

What layer does the Pectoralis major belong to?

It belongs to the superficial muscles layer of the body.

What should I remember for exams?

The pectoralis major is a large fan-shaped chest muscle. The pectoralis major adducts and medially rotates the arm. The pectoralis major has clavicular and sternocostal heads.

Sources

  1. Standring, S. (ed.). Gray’s Anatomy, 42nd edition. Elsevier, 2020.
  2. TeachMeAnatomy — anatomy library
  3. Kenhub — anatomy library
  4. StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf — Pectoralis major search

3D atlas and image credits

Anatomy models: BodyParts3D, © Database Center for Life Science (DBCLS), CC BY-SA 2.1 Japan. Écorché by Charleeh, derived from BodyParts3D and Z-Anatomy, CC BY-SA 4.0. Rendered in anotemy. Changes: highlighting, framing, labels and background removal. Images: CC BY-SA 4.0.

The 3D models are third-party assets under Creative Commons share-alike licences. They keep those licences; the page text is separate. If you reuse an image, keep the attribution and the share-alike licence.