Faculty of

Medicine
Medical Education-
Damietta
University

Level 1
Semester 1
Module 1A
 Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lecture, the students will be able to:

❑ Characterize the structure and function of the skeletal, smooth muscle.

❑ Describe the organization of skeletal muscle at LM and EM levels.

❑ Compare and contrast the structure and function of skeletal and

smooth muscle fibers.
➢ Muscle:
▪ General characters of muscle tissue.
▪ Types of muscle fibers
▪ LM & EM Structure of skeletal muscle fibers.
▪ Microscopic structure = Function correlated to the structure.
Case Scenario
or Clinical correlate
•The muscle tissue is formed of a
group of muscle fibers.
•These fibers have a contractility
power due to the presence of
contractile organoids (myofibrils)
in their cytoplasm.
•The plasma membrane is called
the sarcolemma.
•The cytoplasm is called the
sarcoplasm.
- Striated -Non-striated

- Voluntary - Involuntary
1-Striated: Show transverse dark
and light bands.

2-Voluntary (under control of will)

3-Do not branch
4- Sites:
- All skeletal muscle attached to
skeleton.
- Eye.
- Tongue.
- Pharynx.
- Larynx.
It is formed of cells (fibers) and
connective tissue.
A. Connective tissue:
1-Epimysium:
It is a dense C.T. which surrounds the
whole muscle.
2-Perimysium:
It is a dense C.T. which divides the
muscle into bundles (each bundle contain
a group of muscle fibers).
3-Endomysium:
-It is a loose C.T. which separates the
muscle fibers.
 Epimysium
Endomysium
Perimysium

1. It contains blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic

2. Gives attachment between muscle bundles.
3. Helps the attachment of muscle to tendon, ligament, perichondrium and
periosteum.
• LM of skeletal muscle fiber:

L/S (Logitudinal section):

•Shape: Single elongated
multinucleated cell.
•Length: 1-40 mm.
•Diameter: 10-100 um
•Nuclei: multiple flattened oval
peripherally situated.
•Transverse striations: regular .
• Sarcoplasm: acidophilic and contains:
-B-Glycogen granules.
-Myoglobin pigment.
T/S (Transverse section):
• Shape: Polyhedral.
• Diameter: 100 um
• Nucleus: only seen in some fibers.
• Sarcoplasm: may show dark areas (Cohnheim's areas) due to grouping of
the myofibrils.
• The sarcoplasm show tubular
invaginations (T.T.).
•The sarcoplasm contains:
-sER (sarcoplasmic reticulum).
-Plenty of mitochondria.
-Ribosomes.
-B- Glycogen granules.
-Myoglobin pigment.
-Myofibrils (sarcostyles)
Def: These are contractile elements which are longitudinally arranged in the
sarcoplasm of the skeletal muscle fiber.
Structure:
•The myofibril shows alternating light (I- band) and dark (A- band).
•The dark band of one myofibril is present beside those of adjacent myofibril
giving the cross striation seen by light microscope.
•Each dark band is divided at its center by a light disc called H-zone.
•Each light band is divided at its center by a dark line called Z-line.
 :

-It is the area between two Z-lines.

-It is the functional contractile unit of a myofibril.
-It includes a whole A (dark band) and ½ of I (light band) on either side.
-It contains minute structure called myofilaments.
Def: Thread-like filaments which are longitudinally arranged in the myofibrils.
Size: They may be thin (actin and tropomyosin) or thick (myosin).
•The A band is dark as it contains actin and myosin filament.
•The I band is light as it contains only actin filament.
•The H- zone is light as it contains only myosin filaments.
•The Z-line is dark as it contains other types of filaments and due to
interdigitation of actin filaments.
• It is a typical cell membrane which
plays an important role in conducting
the wave of excitation to the
myofibril.

•It sends narrow tubular invagination

called transverse tubules (T.T.) into
the substance of the fibers to encircle
the sarcomeres like collars at the A-I
junction.
•Each T- tubule lies between two
wider tubules (terminal cisterns)
derived from the sarcoplasmic
reticulum (SR).
•The three tubular structures are
collectively called triad.
•The terminal cisternae in
successive triads are joined by
extensive smaller tubules of
sarcoplasmic reticulum.
 SMOOTH MUSCLE FIBERS
❑ Non-striated
❑ Involuntary Except:
▪ Ciliary muscle
▪ Special Muscle in urinary bladder
❑ Site:
▪ Walls of the blood vessels.
▪ Viscera of various systems (G.I.T., G.U.T., and
Respiratory system)
❑ Arrangement:
▪ Bundles
▪ Branching and anastomosing.
▪ Separated by C.T.
Layers:
❑ Circular. Longitudinal. Oblique. Spiral.
L/M structure
❑ Smooth Muscle Fiber is formed of a single cell.
❑ Shape: spindle (fusiform).
❑ Size: 4-10 um.
❑ Length: 30 um in blood vessels, and up to 500 um in
pregnant uterus.
❑ Nucleus: single-central-oval or rod shape, in the
widest part (middle part).
❑ Cytoplasm: acidophilic -non striated.
❑ The narrow spaces between the individual muscle
fibers and bundles occupied by loose CT.
 E/M structure
The cytoplasm
▪ Homogenous except for some dark
patches (dense bodies).
▪ full of large number of mitochondria,
glycogen, rER, Golgi saccules and
ribosomes.
▪ The myofibrils are not regularly
arranged -» no striation.
▪ Intermediate filaments (desmosomes
and vimentin) are also present in
addition to actin and myosin.
❑ The sarcolemma
✓ T-tubules which represented by
vesicular Caveolae (fine invagination)
to carry the impulse to the inside of
the cell and regulate the Ca pump.
✓ Membrane associated dense bands
(plaques) along the inner aspect of the
plasma membrane
✓ Numerous gap junctions.
✓ Less developed saroplasmic
reticulum.
 Function of smooth muscle

1- maintain partial tonic contractions

(tonus) for very long periods.
2- produce rhythmic contractions or
peristaltic movements e. g. digestive
system.
3- In blood vessels can synthesize
and produce collagen type III and
elastic fibers.
 Difference between skeletal and smooth muscle fibers
Skeletal Smooth
Action: -Voluntary except -upper 2/3 of the -Involuntary except
esophagus -Ciliary muscle
-Some muscles of the pharynx -Urinary bladder (partially
-Cremasteric muscles voluntary)
Site: -Sk. Ms. -wall of blood vessels
-tongue -respiratory tract,
-pharanyx -G.I.T.
Shape & -long cylinder -a short fusiform cell
Branching: -do not branch except tongue, face -do not branch
Arrangement: Regular bundles arranged Layers:
longitudinally circular, longitudinal
Bundles:
branching & anastomosing
 Difference between skeletal and smooth muscle fibers
Skeletal Smooth
No of cells per fiber: one cell one cell
Nuclei: Peripheral, multiple, oval, flat central, single, rod-shaped
Fibrils: -thin + thick filaments -thin + thick +intermediate
filaments
-regular sarcomeres no sarcomeres
Sarcolemma: -thick -thin
T- Tubules: -thin -no T-tubules but caveolae
-less numerous
Striation: -distinct -non striated
Triad: -distinct -absent
-at A-I Junction
S.R.: -T.C. -thin tubule
-wider than T. tubule
Golgi & RER: -less developed -well developed
Mitochondria: Much at nuclear poles
Case Scenario or clinical correlate
The A band of the sarcomere is formed of:
a. Actin only
b. Actin and myosin
c. Myosin only
d. Represents the Z line
❑ Regarding Myofibrils
A. Each dark band is divided at its center by a light disc called Z-
Iine
B. Each light band is divided at its center by a dark line called H-
zone.
C. The Sarcomere the area between two Z-Iines.
D. The Sarcomere the functional non-contractile unit of a
myofibril.
E. The Sarcomere includes a whole I and 1/2 of A on either side
Mescher, A. (2018). Junqueira's basic histology: text and atlas. Fifteenth edn. New
York: McGraw-Hill education.
Chapter 7: Cartilage
Chapter 8: Muscle tissue