MUSCULAR TISSUE

General Characteristics of Muscle

Fiber
Elongated and oriented parallel to its direction of
action
Cell membrane is known as sarcolemma
Nucleus is elongated and is parallel to the long
axis of the muscle fiber
Cytoplasm is known as sarcoplasm
strongly acidophilic due to its myoglobin pigment
Contractility is its fundamental property
contraction generates heat
Functions of Muscles
Movements
Locomotion
Maintenance of body posture
Functional Classification
Voluntary
under the control of the CNS

Involuntary
contract in response to stimulation of the
autonomic nervous system
Structural Classification
Striated
presence of transverse or cross-striations
known as dark and light bands

Smooth
no cross-striations but with longitudinal
striations
Histological Classification
Skeletal muscles
Cardiac muscles
Smooth muscles

Skeletal Muscle
Striated and voluntary
Forms the main bulk of the body
musculature
Generally attached to the bone except
for the intrinsic muscles of the tongue,
upper esophagus and some of the facial
expression muscles



Skeletal Muscle Fiber
Long cylindrical and multinucleated cells
10-100 u
Myoblasts; satellite cells
Muscle fibers do not branch
On cross-section
fibers appear almost equal in size
nuclei are located at the periphery or
beneath the sarcolemma and may be more
than 2
Skeletal Muscle
Connective Tissue Covering
Epimysium
the dense CT surrounding the whole muscle
Perimysium
the thin septa that extend to surround each
fascicle
Endomysium
the delicate reticulum surrounding individual fibers


Skeletal Muscle Fiber
Fine longitudinal striations and cross-
striations are detectable and both are due to
the arrangement of myofibril
Longitudinal sections show heavily stained
dark bands alternating with relatively pale
bands are seen
Dark bands are designated A-bands (myosin)
H band
Lighter staining bands are I-bands (actin)
Z line

Sarcomere
Structural and functional unit of the
skeletal muscle
The segments of myofibrils between
successive Z-lines
Includes an A-band and half of the 2
contiguous I-bands

Actin (thin) myofilaments
free ends are attached to the Z-line, then
towards the A-band up to the edge of the
H-zone
Myosin (thick) myofilaments
occupy the entire A-band
Actin (thin) myofilament
Composed of F-actin, tropomyosin and
troponin complex (TnT, TnC, TnI)
Attached to the -actinin of the Z disc
Myosin (thick) myofilaments
Bound to proteins of M line and to the Z
disc by a large protein called titin (with
spring-like domains)
Myosin (thick) myofilaments
Consists of many myosin bundled together
along their rod-like tails with their heads
exposed and directed towards thin
filaments
Bound to proteins of M line and to the Z
disc by a large protein called titin (with
spring-like domains)
Sliding Filament Mechanism
Actin filaments slide past the myosin
filaments towards the center of the
sarcomere
H zone becomes narrow and may be
obliterated
I-band also becomes narrow
A-band remains constant during
relaxation and contraction

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum
Corresponds to the endoplasmic reticulum of
other cell types
Consists of membrane-bound sarcotubules
that forms a canalicular network around each
myofibril
Devoid of ribosomes
Site of sequestration of calcium during muscle
relaxation and for release into the sarcoplasm
of free calcium ions that trigger contraction in
response to a nerve impulse
Types Of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Type I or slow, red oxidative fibers
Type IIa or fast, intermediate oxidative-
glycolytic fibers
Type IIb or fast, white glycolytic fibers
Types Of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Type I or slow, red oxidative fibers
Many mitochondria; abundant myoglobin
Oxidative phosphorylation of fatty acids
For slow, continuous contraction for
prolonged periods such as postural muscles
at the back
Types Of Skeletal Muscle Fibers
Type IIa or fast, intermediate oxidative-
glycolytic fibers
Many mitochondria, myoglobin and
glycogen
Both oxidative and anaerobic glycolysis
For rapid contraction and short burst of
activity such as in athletes
Cardiac Muscles
Striated and involuntary
Thickest layer of the heart, the myocardium
Branching and anastomosing fiber
Generally have single nucleus per cell
Ovoid nucleus
nucleus are centrally located unlike the skeletal
muscle
Cross-section show moderate variation in the
size of muscle fibers
Cardiac Muscles
Each cell is joined end to end by a
surface specialization called intercalated
discs
Intercalated discs functions
maintain firm cohesion of successive
cellular units of the myocardium
transmits the pull of one contractile unit to
the next cellular unit along the long axis of
the myofibrils
Cardiac Muscles
Fine longitudinal striations and transverse
striations are also found
Sarcomere is also the structural and
functional unit
The component fibers have inherent
automicity and rhythmicity
Myofibrils closely resemble those of the
skeletal muscle
Sarcoplasmic reticulum is present but not as
highly developed as skeletal muscle
Purkinje Myocytes
Modified cardiac muscle fibers that
are specialized for impulse conduction
Located in the
Sinoatrial node at the junction of the
superior vena cava with the right atrium
Atrioventricular node at the lower part of
the interatrial septum
Internodal tracts and bundle of His
Smooth Muscle
Non-striated and involuntary
Capable of slow, sustained, resistant to
fatigue contraction
Muscle fiber is the structural and
functional unit


Smooth Muscle Fiber
Fusiform or spindle-shaped
Elongated nucleus situated in their
widest central portion
Vary in their length in the different
organs (20 u 500 u)


Smooth Muscle Fiber
When in bundles or in extensive layers
individual fibers are off set such that the
wide portion of the cells are adjacent to
the thin tapering end of neighboring cells
So in transverse sections
smooth muscle appear as a mosaic of
irregular polygons of varying sizes
with nuclei found only in larger cross-
sections


Smooth Muscle Fiber
3 kinds of filaments
thin actin filaments, 4-8 nm in diameter
F-actin and calmodulin insert into dense bodies
(contain -actinin)
thicker myosin filaments, 15 nm
intermediate filaments, 10 nm, generally
are desmin
Smooth Muscle Fiber
Rudimentary sarcoplasmic reticulum
T tubules are absent
During contraction the borders of the
cell become scalloped and the nucleus
distorted
Location of Smooth Muscles
Walls of the digestive tract from the middle of the
esophagus to the inner anal sphincter
Walls of the respiratory tract from the trachea to the
alveolar ducts
Walls of blood vessels
Walls of ducts of glands
Arrector pili muscle found in the hair bulb of skin
Areola of mammary glands
Subcutaneous tissue of the scrotum
Urinary bladder
Uterus


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