Ryan hears a loud noise and quickly turns his eyes sideways in the direction of the sound. To accomplishthis action he must use his ________ muscles.
A) superior rectus
B) lateral rectus
C) inferior rectus
D) medial rectus
E) lateral and medial rectus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To turn the eyes sideways in the direction of a sound, both the lateral and medial rectus muscles are used. The lateral rectus muscle abducts the eye (moves it away from the midline), while the medial rectus muscle adducts the eye (moves it toward the midline). Depending on the direction of the sound, either the lateral rectus of one eye and the medial rectus of the other eye work together to achieve the lateral movement.

Ryan Hears a Loud Noise and Quickly Turns His Eyes