MUSCLE TISSUE

Batari T. Umar

Muscle Tissue
Responsible for
Movement of the body and its parts
Changes in the shape and size of the internal
organ

Contains of connective tissue

Composed of muscle cells
Very high metabolic activity
Requires high oxygen and nutrient

Must be attached to fibrous connective tissue

General Structure
Muccle cell

Cell membrane sarcolemma

Cytoplasma sarcoplasma
Endoplasmic reticulum sarcoplasmic reticulum
Mitocondria sarcosom
Microfilament myofibril

Sarcolemma - cell membrane

Surrounds the sarcoplasm (cytoplasm of
fiber)
Contains many of the same organelles seen
in other cells
An abundance of the oxygen-binding protein
myoglobin
Punctuated by openings called the transverse
tubules (T-tubules)
Narrow tubes that extend into the
sarcoplasm at right angles to the surface
Filled with extracellular fluid

Myofibrils -cylindrical structures within

muscle fiber
Are bundles of protein filaments
(=myofilaments)
Three types of myofilaments
1. Actin filaments (thin filaments)
2. Myosin filaments (thick filaments)
3. Titin filaments (Elastic)
At each end of the fiber, myofibrils are
anchored to the inner surface of the
sarcolemma
When myofibril shortens, muscle shortens
(contracts)

 SR is an elaborate, smooth endoplasmic

reticulum

Runs longitudinally and surrounds each myofibril

Form chambers called terminal cisternae on either
side of the T-tubules

A single T-tubule and the 2 terminal cisternae

form a triad
SR stores Ca++ when muscle not contracting

When stimulated, calcium released into sarcoplasm

SR membrane has Ca++ pumps that function to pump
Ca++ out of the sarcoplasm back into the SR after
contraction

 Connective Tissue of a Muscle

Epimysium. Dense regular c.t. surrounding entire
muscle
Separates muscle from surrounding tissues and organs
Connected to the deep fascia

Perimysium. Collagen and elastic fibers surrounding

a group of muscle fibers called a fascicle
Contains b.v and nerves

Endomysium. Loose connective tissue that

surrounds individual muscle fibers
Also contains b.v., nerves, and satellite cells (embryonic
stem cells function in repair of muscle tissue

Collagen fibers of all 3 layers come together at

each end of muscle to form a tendon or
aponeurosis

Types of Muscle Tissue

Skeletal muscle

Cardiac muscle

Smooth muscle

Skeletal Muscle
= Voluntary muscle
= Striated muscle
Composed of muscle cells (fibers), connective tissue,
blood vessels, nerves
Fibers are long, cylindrical, and multinucleated
1 mm - 4 cm in length
Develop from myoblasts; numbers remain constant
Striated appearance
Nuclei are peripherally located

The structure
The E.M shows that each myofibril is made up
of repeating dark & light bands
In the middle of the dark band is the M-line
In the middle of the light band is the Z-line
The repeating unit from one Z-line to the next
is called the sarcomere

The structure

A very high resolution E.M reveals that

each myofibril is made up of parallel
filaments.
Thick & thin filaments are linked at
intervals called cross bridges, which
actually stick out from the thick filaments

Sarcomere
Sarcomere - repeating functional units of a
myofibril
About 10,000 sarcomeres per myofibril, end to end
Each is about 2 m long

Differences in size, density, and distribution of

thick and thin filaments gives the muscle fiber a
banded or striated appearance.
A bands: a dark band; produced by thick
(myosin) filament
M line - protein to which myosins attach
H zone is that portion of the A band where the
thick and thin filaments do not overlap.

Sarcomere........

I bands: a light band; from Z disks to ends of

thick filaments
Thin but NO thick filaments
Extends from A band of one sarcomere to A
band of the next sarcomere
Z disk: filamentous network of protein. Serves
as attachment for actin myofilaments

Titin filaments: elastic chains of amino

acids; keep thick and thin filaments in proper
alignment

Myofilaments
Thick filaments
1.6m long, 15 nm wide
Occupy the A band (the central portion of sarcomere)
The thin filaments run between and parallel to the
thick filaments
Major protein : Myosin
Thin filaments
1.0 m long, 8 nm wide
Major protein :
Actin
Tropomyosin
Troponin

Structure of Actin and Myosin

 Actin
Long filamentous polymers
2 strands of globular
monomers (G-actin)
Double helical formation
5.6 nm in diameter

 Tropomyosin

Long, thin molecule

40 nm length
2 polypaptide chains
Located in the groove
between 2 actin strands

 Troponin

Complex of 3 subunit
Tn T attaches to tropomyosin
Tn C binds calcium ions
Tn I inhibits the actinmyosin interaction
Attached at spesific sites
along each tropomyosin
molecule

 Myosin
2 identical heavy chains
& 2 pairs of light chains
Heavy chain twisted
together as myosin tails
Small globular
projection at one end of
each heavy chain form
the head
Have ATP binding sites
Bind actin

Titin filament

Smooth Muscle
Elongated, fusiform, nonstriated cells
Enclosed by a thin basal lamina & a fine network
reticular fibers
The length are varies from 20 m in small blood
vessels to 500 m the pregnant uterus
1 nucleus located centrally
Fibers smaller than those in skeletal muscle
No sarcomeres thus NO striations
T tubules (-)

 6 major locations:

inside the eye

walls of vessels
respiratory tubes
digestive tubes
urinary organs
reproductive organs

Myofilaments
Thick, thin and intermediate filaments
Bundles of thick & thin filaments crisscross obliquely
through the cells
Thick filaments contains of myosin similar to
myosin in sceletal muscle
Thin filaments
Actin, tropomyosin and calmodulin
Calmodulin Ca binding protein

Intermediate filaments
Desmin major protein in all smooth muscles
Vimentin additional component of vascular smooth
muscle

Cardiac muscle

Found only in heart, form thick myocardium

Cardiac muscle cells are single cells (not called fibers)
Cells branch
Cells join at intercalated discs
IDs are composites of desmosomes and gap junctions
Allow excitation in one fiber to spread quickly to
adjoining fibers

1-2 nuclei in center

Here fiber = long row of joined cardiac muscle cells
Inherent rhythmicity: each cell! (muscle cells beat
separately without any stimulation)

 Structure & function of contractile protein =

skeletal muscle
T tubules : larger & more numerous
Mitochondria occupy 40% of cytoplasmic
volume (>> than skeletal muscle)