SKELETAL, SMOOTH AND

CARDIAC MUSCLE
GENERAL FEATURES OF MUSCLE TISSUE:

• Composed of cells that are specialized to shorten in length by contraction,

resulting in movements.
• Basically made of myocytes.
- it is elongated in one direction = Muscle fibers
- seen as
several myocytes joined to each other
elongated myocytes containing multiple nuclei.

• Each muscle fiber is closely

invested by connective tissue, which in turn is connected
to other muscle fiber.
Force of contraction by muscle fiber is transmitted to other structures
through connective tissue.
Connective tissue provides pathway for the blood vessels and nerves.
MUSCLE TISSUE IS OF 3 TYPES:

Skeletal Muscle:
named because it is seen in relation to bony skeleton.
present in the limbs and in relation to body wall.
prominent transverse striations (Striated muscle).
made to contract under our will (Voluntary muscle)
supplied by somatic motor nerves.

Smooth Muscle:
present in relation to viscera wall of the hollow viscera
no transverse striations
(Smooth Muscle or Non-Striated muscle).
contraction not under our control (Involuntary muscle)
supplied by autonomic nerves.

Cardiac Muscle:
Seen only in the heart.
An involuntary muscle, Striated muscle
Rhythmic contractile rate of heart is under autonomic
control
STRIATED MUSCLE:

• Made of long, cylindrical fibers.

• Length and diameter is highly variable
• Multiple nucleus
- all along its length
- elongated
- at the periphery
• Has a cell membrane (Sarcolemma)

• Cytoplasm or Sarcoplasm has numerous fibrils called myofibrils

Organelles lie near the nucleus
Plenty of mitochondria
Has large amount of glycogen
• Nucleus is seen in the periphery just under the cell membrane
Skeletal muscle
ULTRA STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE:

• Has a cell membrane = Sarcolemma

• It covered by a basement membrane or external lamina
which connects other fibers
• Cytoplasm or Sarcoplasm is permeated with myofibrils
which push the nucleus to one side
• Between myofibrils there are tubules called the
sarcoplasmic reticulum
• Organelles lie near the nucleus
Plenty of mitochondria
Has large amount of glycogen
Has numerous transverse striations
seen as alternative dark and light bands.

Based on transmission of light through a

myofibril it is given this name. Z band I band

I band = isotropic
it can reflect light in all directions equally
A band = anisotropic
cannot reflect light equally H Zone A band

M line

Sarcomere I band
Z band
Structure of a myofibril:

Made of fine filaments ie ACTIN and MYOSIN

Actin is small in size
2 Subfilament = G-actin and F-actin
2 proteins = tropomysin, troponin

Myosin is large
2 subunits, each with head and a tail

I band = has actin filaments seen suspended from Z band & it extend in to A band
A band = has myosin filament
H band has no actin filament
Z band has actin filaments of adjoining sarcomeres meet
M band has myosin filaments of adjacent myosin filament

Other proteins are also present;

Actinin, Myomesin, Titin, Desmin
 Z band

ACTIN

M band

MYOSIN

Z band

RELAXED STATE CONTRACTED STATE

Organisation of muscle fibers:
arranged as bundles or fasciculli
Based on the type of movement, power of contraction muscles are
Quadrilateral in shape
Strap like
Fusiform
with one or two heads of origin
Bipennate or multipennate type

Connective tissue frame work:

Endomysium-
surrounds individual muscle fibers
Perimysium-
surrounds muscle bundles or fasciculi
Epimysium-
surrounds entire muscle
Tendons
has collagen
serves to confine the pull of a muscle to a small area of a bone
place the muscle away from the site of action

Innervation of a muscle:
enters the muscle at the neurovascular hilus
(seen near the origin of a muscle)
branches at the perimysium, endomysium = supplying muscle fibers

Blood vessels & Lymphatics:

enters the muscle at the neurovascular hilus
Basic facts of Smooth Muscle:
Non-Striated Muscle or involuntary or plain muscle

-Having long spindle shaped cells

- Myocytes
- Central broad portion with nucleus in the
centre
- Ends = tapering
- Sarcoplasm
Has longitudinal striations, no transverse
striations
-Cells are arranged
- as bundles or fasciculi
- central thick part of one is opposite to thin
tapering ends of the other cell.
Identify
Distribution of Smooth Muscle:

Wall of viscera = Stomach, Intestines, Urinary Bladder, Uterus

Walls of narrow tubes = Arteries, Veins, Bronchi, ureter

Muscles constricting and dilating the pupils

Orbit, Upper eyelid, Prostrate

Variations:
In the gut
2 layers
inner circular, outer longitudinal layer (peristalsis)
In ureter
2 layers
inner longitudinal outer circular layer
In Bladder = undifferentiated smooth muscle layers
In Bile duct = forms a sphincter
Innervation

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

2 types of nerve supply
Unitary Smooth muscle
has its own rhythmic contractility independent of nerve supply
(pacemaker regions)
Role of nerves is to control rate of rhythmic contraction
Eg. Uterus, Intestines, Stomach
Multi-unit Smooth muscle
Nerves has direct contact with several myocytes
Eg. Iris, large arteries

Blood vessels:
Lesser in number
Ultrastructure:
Sarcolemma

Surrounded by External Lamina, which in turn is surrounded by a connective tissue

Sarcoplasm:
Longitudinal striations
due to myofilaments having actin and myosin
Mitochondria
Golgi apparatus, ribosomes, Sarcoplasmic reticulum
Endoplasmic reticulum

Mechanism of contraction:
Myosin needs to be phosphorylated

Actin is devoid of troponin

No much of ATP is required for action

Few anchoring points for actin and myosin is seen

Cardiac muscle:
Individual fibers

- are not parallel

- but branched and anastomose with each other

-Each fiber is multicellular ,but chain of cardiac muscle

cell has its own nucleus

-Cell is uninucleate
Nucleus seen in the centre
Sarcoplasm is abundant
large mitochondria,
myofibrils are less dense and fuse in with
each other resulting
in transverse striations
Sarcoplasmic reticulum is less prominent

INTERCALATED DISCS
Seen at the junction of adjoining myocytes
seen as broken or straight lines
Cardiac Muscle

is an involuntary muscle
cardiac myocytes contract spontaneously in rhythmic fashion
via pacemaker
innervated by Autonomic nervous system
but not necessary for contraction
Similarities with skeletal muscle:

Elongated fibers
myofibrils = resulting in striations
A I Z H band can be seen out of these striations
Surrounded by connective tissue frame work
Capillary network is the same

Ultrastructure:
Actin and myosin are the same
Mitochondria = numerous
Sarcoplasmic reticulum is present
Numerous organelles are seen
Identify
 Similarities between Cardiac and
Smooth muscle
• Has elongated myocytes with myofilaments
• Myofibrils has transverse striations due to A, I,
Z, and H bands
• Similar connective tissue and capillary network
• EM picture: actin, myosin filaments;
Sarcoplasmic reticulum, T-system of
centrotubules, numerous mitochondria and
other organelles
Differences of Cardiac muscle from
Skeletal muscle
• Fibers are not parallel
• Fibers are branches and unite with neighboring fibers
• Centrally placed single nucleus
• Plenty of sarcoplasm with few myofibrils
• EM picture: Sarcoplasmic reticulum less prominent and
seen at the Z band. Absence of typical triads
• Presence of intercalated discs
• Involuntary muscle supplied by the Autonomic nervous
system
• Isolated myocytes contract spontaneously in a rhythmic
manner.
 Differences of Smooth muscle from
Skeletal muscle
• No transverse striations
• Fusiform in shape, with centrally place
nucleus
• Actin and myosin are not arranged in an
organized fashion as in skeletal muscle
• Sarcoplasmic reticulum is not well
developed
 Distinguishing characteristics of muscle types

Features Skeletal Cardiac Smooth

Cells Thick ,long un Branched, cylindrical Small, spindle shaped
branched,cylindrical
Nuclei per cell Many, peripheral One or two, central One, central

Filament ratio Six thin / one thick Six thin / one thick Twelve thin /,one thick

Sarcoplasmic reticulum Highly organized SR Less organized SR, no Poorly organized SR. no
& myofibrils distinct myofibrils. distinct myofibrils.
T tubules At A – I band junctions; At Z lines; form dyads None
form triads
Motor end-plates Present Absent Absent

Motor control Voluntary Involuntary Involuntary

Prominent fascicles Intercalated discs at Abundant caveolae,

cell to cell junctions cells overlap
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