
The biceps, or biceps brachii, is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. It is one of three muscles in the anterior compartment of the upper arm, along with the brachialis and coracobrachialis muscles. The biceps has two heads, a short head and a long head, which arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow |
| Latin name | Biceps brachii (meaning "two-headed muscle of the arm") |
| Function | Flexes the elbow and rotates the forearm |
| Muscle heads | Two: a short head and a long head |
| Muscle belly | Single |
| Joints | Crosses the elbow joint and the shoulder joint |
| Nerve supply | Shared with the brachialis muscle and the coracobrachialis muscle |
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What You'll Learn
- The biceps is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm
- The biceps has two heads, a short head and a long head
- The biceps' primary function is to flex the elbow and rotate the forearm
- The biceps is one of four muscles that make up the upper arm
- Conditions affecting the biceps are often caused by muscle overuse or trauma

The biceps is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm
The biceps has two heads, the short head and the long head, which arise on the scapula (shoulder blade) and join to form a single muscle belly, which is attached to the upper forearm. The long head of the biceps crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints, but its main function is at the elbow, where it flexes and supinates the forearm. Both these movements are used when opening a bottle with a corkscrew: first, the biceps screws in the cork (supination), then it pulls the cork out (flexion).
The biceps is one of four muscles that make up the upper arm, alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles. It shares a nerve supply with the coracobrachialis muscle. The biceps brachii works across three joints and is able to generate movements in the glenohumeral, elbow, and radio-ulnar joints.
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The biceps has two heads, a short head and a long head
The biceps is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Its Latin name, biceps brachii, means "two-headed muscle of the arm". This is because the biceps has two heads: a short head and a long head. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly which is attached to the upper forearm. The long head of the biceps crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints, but its main function is at the elbow where it flexes and supinates the forearm. The short head is sometimes referred to as "caput breve", while the long head is also called "caput longum". The short head is located on the medial side of the biceps, while the long head is located on the lateral side.
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The biceps' primary function is to flex the elbow and rotate the forearm
The bicep, or biceps brachii, is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. The muscle has two heads, a short head and a long head, which arise from the scapula (shoulder blade) and combine in the middle arm to form a muscle mass. The bicep's primary function is to flex the elbow and rotate the forearm.
The long head of the bicep crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints, but its main function is at the elbow. This is demonstrated when opening a bottle with a corkscrew: first, the bicep screws in the cork (supination), then it pulls the cork out (flexion). The bicep is one of four muscles that make up the upper arm, alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles.
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The biceps is one of four muscles that make up the upper arm
The biceps is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. Its Latin name is biceps brachii, meaning 'two-headed muscle of the arm'. The muscle's primary function is to flex the elbow and rotate the forearm. The heads of the muscle arise from the scapula (shoulder blade) and combine in the middle arm to form a muscle mass. The other end attaches to the radius, the outermost of the two bones that make up the forearm.
The biceps has two heads: the short head and the long head. The short head is sometimes referred to as 'caput breve', while the long head is also called 'caput longum'. The long head of the biceps crosses both the shoulder and elbow joints, but its main function is at the elbow. Both heads of the muscle arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly, which is attached to the upper forearm.
The biceps is a forearm flexor when extended but becomes the forearm's most powerful supinator when flexed. The supination movement is used when opening a bottle with a corkscrew. The biceps screws in the cork (supination) and then pulls the cork out (flexion).
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Conditions affecting the biceps are often caused by muscle overuse or trauma
The biceps is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow. It is also known as the biceps brachii, which means "two-headed muscle of the arm" in Latin. The muscle's primary function is to flex the elbow and rotate the forearm. The biceps is one of four muscles that make up the upper arm, alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles. The biceps has two heads, the short head and the long head, which arise on the scapula and join to form a single muscle belly attached to the upper forearm.
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Frequently asked questions
The bicep muscle, or biceps brachii, is a large muscle situated on the front of the upper arm between the shoulder and the elbow.
The bicep muscle's primary function is to flex the elbow and rotate the forearm.
Biceps brachii is Latin for 'two-headed muscle of the arm'. The bicep muscle has two heads, the short head and the long head.











































