Anatomy Review: Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Anatomy Review: Skeletal Muscle Tissue
Graphics are used with permission of:
Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings (http://www.aw-bc.com)

Page 1. Introduction
• Skeletal muscle cells have unique characteristics which allow for body movement.

Page 2. Goals
• To compare and contrast smooth muscle cells, cardiac muscle cells, and skeletal muscle cells.
• To review the anatomy of skeletal muscle.
• To examine the connective tissue associated with the skeletal muscle.
• To review the intracellular organization of the skeletal muscle cell.

Page 3. Comparison of Skeletal, Cardiac and Smooth Muscle Cells

Skeletal Muscle Cell:
Cardiac Muscle:
Smooth Muscle Cell:
Elongated Cells
Branching Cells
Spindle-Shaped Cell
Multiple Peripheral Nuclei
Single Central Nucleus
Single Central Nucleus
Visible Striations
Visible Striations
Lack Visible Striations
Voluntary
Involuntary
Involuntary

** Now is a good time to go to quiz question 1:
• Click the Quiz button on the left side of the screen.
• After answering question 1, click the Back to Topic button on the left side of the screen.
• To get back to where you left off, click on the scrolling page list at the top of the screen and choose "4. Whole Skeletal Muscle".

Page 4. Whole Skeletal Muscle
• Skeletal muscles attach to bones via tendons.

Page 5. Internal Structure of a Skeletal Muscle
• Skeletal muscles are composed of connective tissue and contractile cells.
• The connective tissues surrounding the entire muscle is the epimysium. Bundles of muscle cells are called fascicles. The connective tissues surrounding the fascicles is called perimysium.
• Label this diagram:

Page 6. Internal Structure of a Fascicle
• Important Points About Endomysium:
• Made of connective tissue.
• Surrounds individual muscle cells.
• Functions to electrically insulates muscle cells from one another.
• Three connective tissue layers of the