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A muscle cell, also known as a myocyte, is a mature contractile cell in the muscle of an animal. [1] In humans and other vertebrates there are three types: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac (cardiomyocytes). [2] A skeletal muscle cell is long and threadlike with many nuclei and is called a muscle fiber. [3]
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 .
Skeletal muscle cells are the individual contractile cells within a muscle, and are often termed as muscle fibers. [3] A single muscle such as the biceps in a young adult male contains around 253,000 muscle fibers. [22] Skeletal muscle fibers are multinucleated with the nuclei often referred to as myonuclei.
Striated skeletal muscle cells in microscopic view. Skeletal muscle is broadly classified into two fiber types: type I (slow-twitch) and type II (fast-twitch). Type I, slow-twitch, slow oxidative, or red muscle is dense with capillaries and is rich in mitochondria and myoglobin, giving the muscle tissue its characteristic red color.
Skeletal muscle, is a type of striated muscle, composed of muscle cells, called muscle fibers, which are in turn composed of myofibrils. Myofibrils are composed of sarcomeres, the basic building blocks of striated muscle tissue. Upon stimulation by an action potential, skeletal muscles perform a coordinated contraction by shortening each sarcomere.
Only skeletal and smooth muscles are part of the musculoskeletal system and only the muscles can move the body. Cardiac muscles are found in the heart and are used only to circulate blood; like the smooth muscles, these muscles are not under conscious control. Skeletal muscles are attached to bones and arranged in opposing groups around joints. [8]
The endomysium, meaning within the muscle, is a wispy layer of areolar connective tissue that ensheaths each individual muscle fiber, or muscle cell. [1] [2] [3] It also contains capillaries and nerves. It overlies the muscle fiber's cell membrane: the sarcolemma. Endomysium is the deepest and smallest component of muscle connective tissue.
Different skeletal muscle types: A: fusiform. B: unipennate. C: bipennate. (PCS: physiological cross-section) Muscles may also be described by the direction that the muscle fibres run, in their muscle architecture. Fusiform muscles have fibres that run parallel to the length of the muscle, and are spindle-shaped. [19]