Microscopic Anatomy

of Skeletal muscle

By: Ian Jem C.

Donor
 Objectives:

Describe the
Characteristics of the
Skeletal Muscle
Describe the Microscopic
Anatomy of the Muscle.
Describe and Identify the
two graded response of
muscle contraction.
 Introduction

Muscle tissue, one of the four

categories of basic tissue,
includes skeletal muscle.
Muscle tissue is characterized
by its ability to shorten or
contract.

Skeletal, cardiac, and smooth

muscle tissue are the three
types of muscle tissue.

The skeletal muscle physiology

and anatomy will be the only
topic of the following two
courses.
 Characteristics:

Skeletal muscle is striated and

voluntary.

Skeletal muscle is the only

type of muscle that we can
consciously control through Can be a 1 foot long
our nervous system.

Skeletal muscle cells are long

and cylindrical.

Skeletal muscle fiber.

These long, highly specialized

cells result from the fusion of
many cells and after the cells
fuse their individual nuclei are
retained.
Skeletal muscle fibers are multinucleate (polynuclear cells).
Connective
Tissue
Component
Microscopic
Anatomy
 Skeletal Muscle
Contraction

The contraction of individual skeletal

muscle cells determines the overall
contraction of a skeletal muscle. If a
skeletal muscle cell is activated, it will
either contract or not contract. It is
referred to as "all or none" response.

However, because each muscle consists

of a number of individual muscle cells,
the contraction of whole muscles can
vary.
 Skeletal Muscle Contraction

The different degree of contraction that can

occur in a whole muscle results in graded
responses to different degrees of stimuli.
Graded responses are achieved in two ways:

1) Changing the frequency of stimulation;

2) Changing the number of muscle cells

stimulated to contract.
 References
Skeletal Muscle Physiology. Skeletal muscle
physiology. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2022, from
http://droualb.faculty.mjc.edu/Course%20Materials/El
ementary%20Anatomy%20and%20Physiology%2050/L
ecture%20outlines/skeletal_muscle_physiology.htm