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The sarcolemma (sarco (from sarx) from Greek; flesh, and lemma from Greek; sheath), also called the myolemma, is the cell membrane surrounding a skeletal muscle fibre or a cardiomyocyte. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] It consists of a lipid bilayer and a thin outer coat of polysaccharide material ( glycocalyx ) that contacts the basement membrane .
The sarcolemma at the junction has invaginations called postjunctional folds, which increase its surface area facing the synaptic cleft. [4] These postjunctional folds form the motor endplate, which is studded with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at a density of 10,000 receptors/μm 2 . [ 5 ]
Each muscle fiber contains sarcolemma, sarcoplasm, and sarcoplasmic reticulum. The functional unit of a muscle fiber is called a sarcomere. [2] Each muscle cell contains myofibrils composed of actin and myosin myofilaments repeated as a sarcomere. [3] Many nuclei are present in each muscle cell placed at regular intervals beneath the sarcolemma.
The unusual microscopic anatomy of a muscle cell gave rise to its terminology. The cytoplasm in a muscle cell is termed the sarcoplasm; the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of a muscle cell is termed the sarcoplasmic reticulum; and the cell membrane in a muscle cell is termed the sarcolemma. [9] The sarcolemma receives and conducts stimuli.
T-tubules are tubules formed from the same phospholipid bilayer as the surface membrane or sarcolemma of skeletal or cardiac muscle cells. [1] They connect directly with the sarcolemma at one end before travelling deep within the cell, forming a network of tubules with sections running both perpendicular (transverse) to and parallel (axially) to the sarcolemma. [1]
A diagram of the structure of a myofibril (consisting of many myofilaments in parallel, and sarcomeres in series) Sliding filament model of muscle contraction. The myosin heads form cross bridges with the actin myofilaments; this is where they carry out a 'rowing' action along the actin. When the muscle fibre is relaxed (before contraction ...
The SR contains ion channel pumps, within its membrane that are responsible for pumping Ca 2+ into the SR. As the calcium ion concentration within the SR is higher than in the rest of the cell, the calcium ions will not freely flow into the SR, and therefore pumps are required, that use energy, which they gain from a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
It overlies the muscle fiber's cell membrane: the sarcolemma. Endomysium is the deepest and smallest component of muscle connective tissue. This thin layer helps provide an appropriate chemical environment for the exchange of calcium, sodium, and potassium, which is essential for the excitation and subsequent contraction of a muscle fiber.