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forelimb is an anterior (front-most)
limbA limb is a jointed, or prehensile , appendage of the human or other animal body....
(arm, leg, or similar appendage) on an
animalAnimals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
's body. When referring to
quadrupedQuadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...
s (four-legged animals), the term
foreleg is often instead used.
The term is not to be confused with the
forearm-See also:*Forearm flexors*Forearm muscles...
, which refers to a segment of the
armIn human anatomy, the arm is the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow joints. In other animals, the term arm can also be used for analogous structures, such as one of the paired forelimbs of a four-legged animal or the arms of cephalopods...
between the elbow and the
wristIn human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
.
The joint between the thoracic limb and the trunk is called the omothoracic junction.
It is a form of synsarcosis, which means that it is the union of parts of the skeleton by muscles.
See also
- Equine forelimb anatomy
The equine forelimb of the horse is attached to the trunk of the animal by purely muscular connections...
- Hind limb
A hind limb is a posterior limb on an animal. When referring to quadrupeds, the term hind leg is often instead used....
- Foreleg, cheeks and abomasum