Muscle Tissue

By: Emebet Chimdi (Msc. in Clinical Anatomy)

 Overview of Muscle Tissue

Muscle Tissue:

Converts chemical

energy to mechanical
energy;
A collection of muscle

fibers or cells (skeletal,

cardiac or smooth);
The plasma membrane,

cytoplasm, & smooth

endoplasmic reticulum of a

muscle cell are known as

sarcolemma, sarcoplasm, &

sarcoplasmic reticulum

respectively;
 Muscle tissues are

characterized by:
 Excitability:-the ability to

respond to a stimulus
 Contractility:- the ability to

shorten
 Extensibility:- the ability to

stretch
 Elasticity:- the ability to

resume normal length after

being stretching or shortening
 Muscle Supporting Tissues

 Each muscle has 3

layers of supporting
connective tissues:

1. Epimysium:- exterior
collagen layer; underlies
deep fascia; separates
the muscle from
surrounding tissues.
2. Perimysium-
surrounds bundles of
muscle fibers
(fascicles);
3. Endomysium:-
surrounds an
individual muscle cell
& contains satellite
cells (stem cells) that
repair damaged
muscle cells.
 Types of Muscle Tissues

 Skeletal, cardiac &

smooth muscle
tissues;
 Differ one another

mainly based on
their:
 Microscopic

anatomy,
 Location
 1. Skeletal Muscle Tissue

 Voluntary muscle

tissue, associated with

the skeleton;
 Produce body

movement, generate
heat
 Composed of long,

cylindrical, multi-
nucleated & striated
skeletal muscle fibers;
 The Sarcolemma

 The cell membrane of a

muscle cell
 Surrounds the sarcoplasm

(cytoplasm of muscle
fiber)
 Transverse (T) tubules

 Invaginations of the

sarcolemma;
 Form anastomosing

network of tubules;
 Each T-tubule

embraced on each side

by terminal cisternae
of sarcoplasmic
reticulum forming
triad.
 Each muscle fiber

within the sarcoplasma

contains several
thousand myofibrils;

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 Myofibrils

Measure about 1-2µm in

diameter
Lengthwise subdivisions

within a muscle fiber

Made up of bundles of

protein filaments
(myofilaments);
 Myofilaments

Responsible for contraction;

Two types of myofilaments

a)Thin filaments:- made of

protein actin
b)Thick filaments:- made of

protein myosin

 The cross striations pattern within myofibrils is due to the regular

arrangement of the myosin & actin filaments;
 Alternating dark, thick filaments (A bands) & light, thin filaments (I
bands).
 Sarcomere:

 Structural units of

myofibrils;
 The contractile units

of a muscle fiber;
 Form visible patterns

within myofibrils;
 M line:- the center of the A band, at midline of

sarcomere,

 Z lines:- the centers of the I bands, at the 2 ends of

sarcomere,

 Overlap zone:- where thick & thin filaments overlap

 H zone:- the area around the M line; has thick

filaments but no thin filaments

 Titin:- are strands of protein, reach from tips of

thick filaments to the Z line; stabilize the filaments.

 During contraction:-

 The I band & H zone

diminish in width;
 There is an increase in

the amount of overlap

between the filaments;
 A net result is that

each sarcomere, is
greatly shortened;
During relaxed state :
The I band and H zone are
at their expanded length
The titin molecules help pull
thin and thick filaments past
one another in relaxed muscle.
 2. Cardiac Muscle Tissue

 Involuntary muscle tissue

that forms the heart wall;

 Consists of branched

generally uni-nucleated,
striated, cardiac muscle
cells;
 Cardiac muscle cells

(cardiocytes):-
 Are small cells, invested by

sarcolema
 Show short, wide t-tubules

 Have SR without terminal

cisternae
 Show no triads
 3. Smooth Muscle Tissue

 Involuntary muscle tissue,

which forms the walls of

hollow organs such as blood
vessels, stomach etc
 Composed of spindle-shaped,

uni-nucleated, non-striated
smooth muscle cells;
 Smooth muscle cell:

 May range in length from 20

µm to 500 µm;
 Shows bundles of thin &

thick myofilaments
crisscross obliquely through
the cell,
Summary of muscle tissues
Type of Shape of Nuclei Control Striati Special
muscle cells ons features
Skeletal Long and Many Voluntar Present  hypertrophy
Cylindrical Peripher y and
al hyperplasia
 Slight
regeneration

Cardiac Short, One or Involunta Present  Hypertrophy

cylindric two ry  No
al and central regeneration
branchin
g
Smooth Fusiform One Involunta Absent  hypertrophy
Central ry and
hyperplasia
 regenerate
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NERVOUS TISSUES
 NERVOUS TISSUES

Nervous Tissues:

 Formed by a network of

neurons & by their

supporting cells, neuroglia
cells.
Functions

 Transmit electrical signals from sensory

receptors to the CNS
 CNS interprets impulse for potential
response
 Signals from CNS to effectors (muscles and
glands) control response

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Characteristics Of Neuron

1. Extreme longevity
– Live and function optimally for a lifetime
2. Amitotic
– As neurons assume their role in the nervous
system they lose their ability to divide
– Neurons cannot be replaced if destroyed
3. High metabolic rate
– Require continuous and abundant supplies of
oxygen and glucose

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 Cells of the Nervous System

1. Neurons or nerve cells

 The structural and functional

units of the nervous system;

 Responsible for the

reception, transmission &

processing of stimuli;
 Neuron structure
 Most neurons have three
functional components in
common
 A receptive component
 A conducting component
 A secretion or output
component
 Each component is associated
with a particular region of a
neuron’s anatomy
Neuron structure

• Most neurons consist of three parts:

– Cell Body (perikaryon)
• synthetic center for the entire nerve cell
– Dendrites
• many elongated processes specialized to receive
stimuli from the environment, sensory epithelial
cells, or other neurons
– Axon
• single process specialized in generating and
conducting nerve impulses to other cells (nerve,
muscle, and gland cells)

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Classification of Neurons

• Neurons can be classified structurally or

functionally
• Structural classification
– Multipolar
– Bipolar
– Unipolar
• Functional classification
– Sensory neurons
– Motor neurons
– Interneurons

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Structural Classification of

neurons:
 Based on the number of processes

classified as:
 Unipolar neurons

 Bipolar neurons

 Multipolar neurons
A. Multipolar neurons
Many processes

extend from cell

body
all are dendrites

except one axon

Most common type

in humans
major neuron of the

CNS
B. Bipolar neurons
 Two processes extend from
cell body
 One a fused dendrite, the
other an axon
 Found only in special sense
organs where they function
as receptor cells (sensory
neurons)
 Example: retina, inner ear,
and olfactory mucosa
 C. Unipolar Neuron
Have one short process coming
off the perikaryon, but this
immediately bifurcates into a
long peripheral and a shorter
central processes
In these neurons, the cell body
does not seem to be involved in
impulse conduction, but
remains as the synthetic center
for the entire cell
Chiefly found in the ganglia
Function as sensory neurons
 Functional Classification

• Based on the direction in which the nerve impulse

travels relative to the CNS, there are three types of
neurons
– Sensory neurons
– Motor neurons
– Interneurons

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 Sensory (afferent) Neurons
• Neurons that transmit
impulses from sensory
receptors in the skin
or internal organs
toward the CNS
• All primary sensory
neurons are unipolar
• Sensory neurons have
their cell body outside
of the CNS

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 Motor (efferent) Neurons

• Neurons that carry

impulses away from the
CNS to effector organs
(muscles and glands)
• Motor neurons are
multipolar and their cell
bodies are located in the
CNS (except autonomic)
• Motor neurons form
junctions with effector
cells, signaling muscle to
contract or glands to
secrete
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Interneurons (association neurons)

• Lie between motor and

sensory neurons
• Found in pathways where
integration occurs
• Establish relationships
among other neurons,
forming complex
functional networks or
circuits
• Confined to CNS
• Make up 99% of the
neurons of the body
• Almost all interneurons
are multipolar
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Cell Body (Perikaryon)
 Most neuron cell bodies are located with in the
CNS
 Clusters of cell bodies in the CNS are called nuclei
 Collection of cell bodies in the PNS are called
ganglia
Neuron Processes
 The CNS contain both neuron cell bodies and their
processes
 The PNS consists chiefly of processes
 Bundles of neuron processes in the CNS are called
tracts
 Bundles of neuron processes in the PNS are called
nerves
Synaptic Communication
• Synapses are sites of functional contact between
neurons or between neurons and other effector cells
• The neuron that conducts impulses toward a synapse is
called presynaptic neuron
• The neuron that conducts impulses away from the
synapse is called postsynaptic neuron
• The function of the synapse is to convert an electrical
signal (impulse) from the presynaptic cell into a
chemical signal that acts on the postsynaptic cell

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Synapses: types

• Axosomatic synapse
– an axon forms a synapse with a cell body
• Axodendritic synapses
– between the axon terminals of one neuron and the
dendrites of another
– common
• Axoaxonic synapses
– synapses between two axons
– less common and is used to modulate synaptic
activity

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2. Neuroglia or Glial cells
 Have branching processes

& a central cell body;

 Outnumber neurons in the

CNS by a ratio of 10 to 1;
 Provide protection &

support to the nerve cells.

Neuroglia or Glial cells
A dense network of
fibers from
processes of both
neurons and glial
cells fills the
interneuronal space
of the CNS and is
called the neuropil
Neuroglia or Glial cells

•Supporting cells of the CNS

– Astrocytes
– Microglial cells
– Ependymal cells
– Oligodendrocytes
•Supporting cells of the PNS
– Schwann cells
– Satellite cells

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1. Oligodendrocytes
Surround & form the myelin
sheaths around axons that provide
electrical insulation for neurons in
the CNS.

2. Astrocytes:
Characterized by numerous
processes
Have supportive & nutritive
roles.
3. Ependymal Cells
•Line ventricles of the brain &
central canal of the spinal cord;
•Facilitate movement & absorption
of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF),
4. Microglia
Small cells with numerous short
processes
Involve in the removal of
damaged cells & invading
microorganisms in the CNS.
5. Schwann Cells
 Surround & form the

myelin sheaths around

axons in the PNS;

6. Satellite Cells
 Flattened cells form

covering layer over the cell

bodies in PNS ganglia
 Provide a supportive role
Thank you so much!