Rectus femoris
At the front of the thigh, superficial to vastus intermedius.
Read the anatomy guide →Human anatomy · Left side
Left thigh
Explore the thigh in 3D: compare the available quadriceps and posterior muscles, with guided steps and clear model limitations.
Atlas notePartial educational model, not a complete dissection. Original whole meshes are retained; close-ups may leave long bones outside the frame. Cartilage, separate ligaments, nerves and vessels are absent. Anatomical review pending.
LEFT THIGH · REGIONAL STUDYBodyParts3D / 4.0
Choose a step to select a structure and set the view. Some steps isolate it. Read the step-by-step guide →
SELECTED · LEFT SIDE
Left rectus femoris
Open structure page →Anatomioanatomio.org ↗3D: BodyParts3D / DBCLS · CC BY 4.0
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Gold = selected structure Click to select · double-click / double-tap to open
Drag to rotate · pinch or scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate · pinch or scroll to zoom
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Interactive study: Anatomio. Original geometry: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International. Sources & changes · Model provenance
Read the anatomy · Left thigh
Four muscles. Explore each one.
Source-linked guides with attachments, function and nerve supply. Each opens the matching left-side model. Specialist anatomical review is pending.
Vastus lateralis
On the outer side of the thigh, lateral to rectus femoris.
Read the anatomy guide →Vastus medialis
On the inner side of the thigh, medial to rectus femoris.
Read the anatomy guide →Vastus intermedius
Deep to rectus femoris, between the medial and lateral vasti.
Read the anatomy guide →Read the anatomy · Left posterior thigh
Behind the thigh. Compare the parts.
Three muscles, four selectable parts: biceps femoris has two heads. Each guide opens its left-side mesh. Source checking is complete; specialist review is pending.
Biceps femoris long head
The long head is part of biceps femoris on the lateral side of the posterior thigh.
Read the anatomy guide →Biceps femoris short head
The short head is the femoral component of biceps femoris in the posterior thigh.
Read the anatomy guide →Semitendinosus
Semitendinosus belongs to the medial side of the posterior thigh group.
Read the anatomy guide →Semimembranosus
Semimembranosus is another medial posterior thigh muscle; it is not a second name for semitendinosus.
Read the anatomy guide →Understand the region · Left side
Read the thigh from front to back
The anterior group
The four quadriceps muscles extend the knee. Rectus femoris lies in front, with vastus intermedius beneath it; vastus medialis and lateralis occupy the inner and outer sides.
OpenStax · Pelvic and lower-limb muscles ↗Look behind the femur
Biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus form the main posterior thigh group. They help bend the knee. Comparing their positions is different from simulating a contraction.
OpenStax · Pelvic and lower-limb muscles ↗Try it in 3D
Open Guided study · 3 steps above the model. Each button selects the matching structure on this side and sets a useful view. Isolated steps hide the other structures; Show context restores this region.
- Start at the front
Highlight rectus femoris while retaining its neighbors. Rotate slightly to see how the visible muscle parts surround the femur.
Open Left rectus femoris → - Reveal a deeper muscle
Isolate vastus intermedius to inspect a part that can be hidden in the full assembly.
Open Left vastus intermedius → - Turn to the back
Inspect semimembranosus alone from behind, then restore context to compare it with the other posterior parts.
Open Left semimembranosus →
Anatomical facts checked against the linked references on . Specialist review pending. Instructions describe this Anatomio viewer, not the source textbook.
Structures in this study
3 bones and 8 selected muscle parts. Show context restores this regional subset. Use Front, Back or Oblique to return to its initial framing.
Return to the whole left leg →