The triceps sure consists of which muscles?

• A. Rectus Femoris and Vastus Lateralis
• B. Gastrocnemius and Plantaris
• C. Soleus and Tibialis Anterior
• D. Gastrocnemius and Soleus

Answer: (D)

The triceps surae is the pair of calf muscles responsible for plantarflexing the foot and forming the strong Achilles tendon into the heel. It’s made up of the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The gastrocnemius is the two-headed muscle on the back of the lower leg that crosses both the knee and ankle, contributing to knee flexion as well as plantarflexion. The soleus lies deeper and only crosses the ankle, providing powerful plantarflexion especially when the knee is flexed. Plantaris can be present as a small, incidental muscle but isn’t counted as part of the triceps surae. The other muscle pairs listed either act on different actions (like extending the knee or dorsiflexing the foot). So the correct pairing is gastrocnemius and soleus.