MY NOTES DO NOT REPLACE THE LAB MANUAL.

LAB MANUAL IS YOUR PRIMARY

RESOURCE. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THE MATERIAL FROM
CORRESPONDING CHAPTER(S) IN THE LAB MANUAL AND CLASS HANDOUT(S)!!!

Chapter 14: Microscopic Anatomy and Organization of

Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle – striated voluntary muscle, attached to the skeleton, influences

body contours and shape, and enables you to manipulate the environment.

The Cells of the Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle is made up of thousands of cylindrical cells – fibers often

running all the way from origin to insertion. The fibers are bound together
by connective tissue through which contains blood vessels and nerves.

Each muscle fiber contains:

• An array of Myofibrils – threadlike fibrils that make up the contractile part of a
striated muscle fiber, that are stacked lengthwise and run the entire length of the
fiber.
Each Myofibril contains Myofilaments which are composed of
contractile proteins Actin (thin filament) and Myosin (thick
filament).
• Sarcosome – a large specialized mitrochondrion found in striated muscle fibers.
• Sarcoplasmic reticulum – the form of endoplasmic reticulum found in striated
muscle fibers.
• Many nuclei. The multiple nuclei arise from the fact that each muscle fiber
develops from the fusion of many cells (called myoblasts).
• Sarcolemma – A plasma membrane enclosing a striated muscle fiber.
• Sarcoplasm – The cytoplasm of a striated muscle fiber.

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The striated appearance of the muscle fiber is created by a pattern of alternating
• dark A bands and
• light I bands.
• The A bands are bisected by the H zone
• The I bands are bisected by the Z line.

The entire array of thick and thin filaments between the Z lines is called
a Sarcomere – contractile unit of the cell.

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The anatomy of a Sarcomere
• The thick filaments produce the dark A band.
• The thin filaments extend in each direction from the Z line.
Where they do not overlap the thick filaments, they create the
light I band.
• The H zone is that portion of the A band where the thick and
thin filaments do not overlap.

• At each junction of the A and I bands, the sacrolemma

indents into the muscle cell, forming transverse tubule (T
tubule). T tubules run deep into the muscle cell between
cross channels, or terminal cisternae, of sarcoplasmic
reticulum.

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Organization of Skeletal Muscle Cells into Muscles

Endomysium – fibrous connective tissue (areolar) surrounds each

muscle fiber. Interconnects muscle fibers. Contains stem cells – myoblasts.
Skeletal muscle fibers are made when myoblasts fuse
together. That is the reason why muscle fibers have multiple
nuclei. Myoblasts that do not form muscle fibers differentiate
into satellite cells. These satellite cells remain adjacent to a
muscle fiber, separated only by its cell membrane and by
the endomycium.

Fascicle – formed by a bundle of muscle

fibers. Numerous Fascicles bundle to form entire muscle.

Perimysium – fibrous connective tissue surrounds each fascicle.

Composed of collagen and Elastic connective tissue. Contains
blood vessel and nerves.

Epimysium – fibrous connective tissue surrounds ENTIRE muscle,

composed of collagen.
Separates muscle from surrounding tissue

Deep fascia – a sheet or band of fibrous dense connective tissue

enveloping, separating, or binding
muscles together into functional groups and into tendons.

Aponeurosis – A sheetlike fibrous membrane resembling a

flattened tendon that serves as a fascia to bind muscles together or to connect
muscle to bone. They have a shiny, whitish-silvery color, and are histologically
similar to tendons, but are very scarcely supplied with blood vessels and
nerves.

Tendons – A band of tough, inelastic fibrous connective tissue that

connects a muscles to bones.
Formed by blending of endomysium, perimysium, and
epimysium.

Muscle Insertion – more movable attachment of the muscle.

Muscle Origin – fixed immovable attachment of the muscle.

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The Neuromuscular Junction

Neurons – are the primary cells of the nervous system.

Axon – A threadlike process of a neuron, that conducts nerve impulses.
Axon terminals – The somewhat enlarged, endings by which axons make
synaptic contacts with other cells.

Neuromuscular Junction – junction between a nerve fiber (axon) and a

muscle fiber.
Synaptic cleft – area between axon terminal and muscle
fiber sarcolemma.

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Motor Unit – single neuron and all the muscle fibers it stimulates.
• Several muscle fibers are controlled by a single “motor unit”
• Every muscle fiber innervated by single neuron.
• Several motor units control a single muscle

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