Muscle

Undergraduate Graduate
Histology Lecture Series
Larry Johnson, Professor
Veterinary Integrative Biosciences
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843

Muscle Introduction
Contractivity is one of the fundamental properties
of protoplasm and is exhibited in varying degree
by nearly all cell types.
In the cells of muscle, the ability to convert
chemical energy into mechanical work has become
highly developed.
Locomotion of multicellular animals, beating of
their hearts, and movement of their internal organs
depends on muscles of different types.
Cardiac muscle

Smooth muscle

Skeletal muscle

Objectives
Identify smooth, skeletal, and
cardiac muscle on route
histological preparations
Explain the morphological basis for
the different functions of these
three types of muscle
Distinguish between the modes of
excitation of these three types of
muscle

Four basic types of tissues

Epithelium (90% of tumors)

Muscular tissue

Connective tissue

Nervous tissue

Muscle
Function:
Generation of contractile force

Distinguishing features:
high concentration of contractile
proteins actin and myosin arranged
either diffusely in the cytoplasm
(smooth muscle) or in regular
repeating units called sarcomeres
(striated muscles, e.g., cardiac and
skeletal muscles)
Cardiac
muscle

Smooth muscle
Striated muscles

Muscle

- Histological identification

Skeletal muscle very long

cylindrical striated muscle cells
with multiple peripheral nuclei
Cardiac muscle short branching
striated muscle cells with
centrally located nuclei
Smooth muscle closely packed
spindle-shaped cells with a single
centrally placed nucleus and
cytoplasm that appears
homogeneous by light microscopy

Myoepithelial cells

Muscle
Distribution:
Skeletal striated muscles
mostly associated with
the skeleton

Muscle
Distribution:
Cardiac striated muscles
associated with the heart
large artery
of lung

cle
Distribution:
Smooth fusiform cells associated
with the viscera, respiratory
tract, blood vessels, uterus, etc.

Ureter

Smooth muscle
Ductus deferens

Types of muscle
Skeletal muscle
Voluntary, large and multinucleated cells,
striated
Cardiac muscle
Involuntary, mononucleated and branched
cells, striated
Smooth muscle
Involuntary, mononucleated, non-striated

Connective tissue layers of skeletal muscle

Epimysium - coarse CT
Perimysium - less coarse CT
Endomysium - delicate CT
Perimysium
Epimysium
Endomysium

Slide 136: Tongue, monkey

Skeletal muscle nuclei

Fasciculi

Endomysium

Muscle
cells

skeletal muscle nuclei,

Connective
tissue of
perimysium

striations

Connective
Tissue
connects cells
(muscle fibers) of
skeletal muscle
Endomysium

Connective Tissue Layers of

Skeletal Muscle
PERIMYSIUM

ENDOMYSIUM

Connective Tissue Layers of Skeletal Muscle

Endomysium

Individual
cell

Striated Muscle

Cardiac

Skeletal

A Band = dark band

Anisotropic = does
alter polarized light
(Birefringent)
I Band = light band
Isotropic = does not
alter polarized light

A
I

A
I

Polarized Light Micrograph Of

Human High-Res Stock Photogra
phy ...
www.gettyimages.com

Striated Muscle (Skeletal)

Repeating A and I bands alone the cells length
creates repeating sarcomeresA
I
A
I

Muscle (Skeletal)

ctural unit and functional unit of striated muscle

H band
in middle of I band

Striated
Muscle
(skeletal)
A
Sarcomeres are
organized for rapid
and highly controlled
contraction

Striated Muscle (Skeletal)

Thin filament = actin + actin-associated proteins

Actin-associated proteins dictate network or bundle

creating the Z line

Thick filament = myosin

Striated Muscle

Striated Muscle

Note uniform spacing of troponin

Striated Muscle

Unexplained complexity in skeletal muscle

13 isoforms of myosin
128 isoforms of troponin

 Footprints of evolution
fossils
comparative anatomy,
morphology and physiology
biological macromolecules
nucleic acids & proteins
document evolutionary history
provide insights into evolution of
form and function
life
biomolecules

e.g., cytochrome c in rice & tuna

Slides adapted from Dr. Chris Collet

Queensland University of Technology
Australia

Ear bones of mammals (including human) began as reptile jaws

This 125-million year old

fossil has inner-ear anatomy
intermediate (still attached to
the jaw) between reptiles and
mammals. In the early
embryonic stage of modern
mammals, the middle ear was
still attached to the jaw.

 Footprints of evolution
fossils
comparative anatomy,
morphology and physiology
biological macromolecules
nucleic acids & proteins
document evolutionary history
provide insights into evolution of
form and function
life
biomolecules

e.g., cytochrome c in rice & tuna

Slides adapted from Dr. Chris Collet

Queensland University of Technology
Australia

You can learn a lot about humans from

studying animals

 Footprints of evolution
fossils
comparative anatomy,
morphology and physiology
biological macromolecules
nucleic acids & proteins
document evolutionary history
provide insights into evolution of
form and function
life
biomolecules

e.g., cytochrome c in rice & tuna

Slides adapted from Dr. Chris Collet

Queensland University of Technology
Australia

Introduction: Pathways Of Protein Evolution

Protein Evolutionary Trees

Introduction: Pathways Of Protein Evolution

Point mutation
change of function to meet changing requirements

Duplication
simplest mechanism of evolving new proteins
functional divergence of duplicates to meet new
requirements in biochemical pathways

Exon shuffling
creating novel proteins for new pathways of
development

Alternate splicing
protein diversity from existing genes

Exon Shuffling And Mosaic Proteins

If structural = functional modules then
modules (domains) can be moved around genome
fulfill new functions
proteins show a mosaic history

Exon Shuffling and Mosaic Proteins

Many proteins are modular
units derived from many sources

Alternate Pathways Of Transcript Splicing

Different exons may be
joined to produce a related
set of mRNAs encoding a
small family of related
proteins
protein isoforms

Splicing patterns often

tissue-specific
Related proteins may
perform similar, not
necessarily identical,
functions in different types
of cells
Splicing is the norm in elks
as a means of producing
diversity

Unexplained complexity in skeletal muscle

13 isoforms of myosin
128 isoforms of troponin

Cell Structure of Skeletal Muscle

Myofiber = multinucleated cell
Myofibrils
Sarcomere
Z Line (-actinin)
I Band (actin, tropomyosin, troponins)
A Band (myosin, overlaps actin)
H Band (myosin with no overlap of actin)

Cell Structure of
Skeletal Muscle

Individual cells

Individual cell

Cell Structure of Skeletal Muscle

Cell Structure of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal Muscle
Wall Paper

Skeletal Muscle

Sarcomeres shorten
to create contraction

Skeletal Muscle

Remember the Intermediate Filaments on Epithelium

Structural support of
epithelial desmosomes
and
hemidesmosomes

ntermediate Filaments
Function in Muscle Cells
Myofibril organization Muscle cells

Cell =

Contraction of
the Sarcomere
Thin Filament
Actin (F-actin)
Tropomyosin
Troponin
T - attaches to
tropomyosin
C - binds calcium ions
I - inhibits actin-myosin
interaction

ontraction of
e sarcomere
Thick Filament (myosin)
Contraction
Troponin-C binds calcium
Conformational change in
Tropomyosin exposes the
binding site of actin
Myosin binds actin
ATP ADP yielding
energy and movement of
myosin head (motor),
sliding of filament results

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ309LfHQ3M

Calcium Regulation
Transverse (T) tubule
(invagination of sarcolemma)
transmit depolarization of
membrane deep into the cell
Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SER of
cell) release Ca++ for contraction
then recovers Ca++ after
contraction
Triad = (T tubule
and two ends of SER)

Calcium Regulation
TRANVERSE (T) TUBULE

TRIAD = (T TUBULE +
TWO ENDS OF SER)

Calcium Regulation

Transverse Tubule

mulation
Muscle
s

vation of Skeletal Muscle

Motor end-plate:
Synaptic cleft
Acetylcholine and
receptor
Junctional
Folds

Innervation of Muscle

Slide HISTO007 skeletal muscle cells

Nerve muscle interface at the motor end plates

Note the motor end plates in several skeletal muscle cells

Innervation of Muscle

ervation of Muscle

Innervation of Muscle

Innervation of
Muscle

Innervation of Muscle

Innervation of Muscle

Sensory
Innervation
of Muscle
Muscle Fiber / Cell
Muscle Spindle

nervation of Muscle
Muscle Spindle

Muscle Spindle
Intracapsular fibers

136 Tongue Muscle spindle

Muscle spindles
capillaries

Intrafusal
fibers inside the capsule

nerve
fibroblasts

Types of Fibers in
Skeletal Muscle

Red (Slow, Oxidative)

High Myoglobin
High Cytochromes/
Mitochondria
Posture, flight
muscle in birds

Types of Fibers
in Skeletal
Muscle

White (Fast, Glycolytic)

Low Myoglobin
Fewer Mitochondria

Types of Fibers in Skeletal Muscle

Intermediate (Fast, Oxidative, and Glycolytic)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbTah5NVOtU&feature=re
lated

Cardiac Muscle

Cardiac Muscle is Striated Muscle

Differences From Skeletal Muscle
Mononucleated vs. Multinucleated
Central vs. Peripheral Nuclei
Diad vs. Triad

Cardiac Muscle is Striated Muscle

Intercalated Disc
Fascia Adherens
Maculae Adherens
Gap Junctions - Lateral Portion

rdiac Muscle
Intercalated Disc

Cardiac
Muscle
Intercalated Disc
Fascia Adherens
Maculae Adherens
Gap Junctions
Lateral Portion

Intercalated discs

ntercalated
isc

Cardiac Muscle is
Striated Muscle

Cardiac Muscle

Cardiac Muscle Diad located at Z line

Diad = (T tubule +
one end of SER)

Cardiac Muscle

c Muscle

Cardiac Muscle has Organized

Contractions

PURKINJE FIBERS

Heart

Internodal connections

Cardiac Muscle has Organized

Contractions

Purkinje Fibers

Cardiac Muscle
Purkinje Fibers

Cardiac Muscle
Purkinje Fibers

Nexus
(gap junction)

Smooth Muscle
Cell organization
Myofilament organization
Intermediate filaments and
fusiform dense regions

Smooth Muscle

Smooth Muscle

MUSCULAR ARTERY

Smooth Muscle
Arrector Pili Muscle in Skin

Smooth Muscle
Has a PAS +
basement membrane

Smooth
Muscle

Actin
Myosin

Smooth
Muscle
Intracellular caveolae

Smooth
Muscle

Smooth Muscle

Smooth Muscle

Regeneration of Muscle
Cardiac None

Skeletal Some

Smooth - Lots

Muscle
Striated - Smooth

Summary of Muscle
shapes and excitations of types

Many illustrations in these VIBS Histology YouTube videos were modified from
the following books and sources: Many thanks to original sources!
Bruce Alberts, et al. 1983. Molecular Biology of the Cell. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, NY.
Bruce Alberts, et al. 1994. Molecular Biology of the Cell. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, NY.
William J. Banks, 1981. Applied Veterinary Histology. Williams and Wilkins, Los Angeles, CA.
Hans Elias, et al. 1978. Histology and Human Microanatomy. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY.
Don W. Fawcett. 1986. Bloom and Fawcett. A textbook of histology. W. B. Saunders Company,
Philadelphia, PA.
Don W. Fawcett. 1994. Bloom and Fawcett. A textbook of histology. Chapman and Hall, New York, NY.
Arthur W. Ham and David H. Cormack. 1979. Histology. J. S. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, PA.
Luis C. Junqueira, et al. 1983. Basic Histology. Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, CA.
L. Carlos Junqueira, et al. 1995. Basic Histology. Appleton and Lange, Norwalk, CT.
L.L. Langley, et al. 1974. Dynamic Anatomy and Physiology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, NY.
W.W. Tuttle and Byron A. Schottelius. 1969. Textbook of Physiology. The C. V. Mosby Company, St.
Louis, MO.
Leon Weiss. 1977. Histology Cell and Tissue Biology. Elsevier Biomedical, New York, NY.
Leon Weiss and Roy O. Greep. 1977. Histology. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, NY.
Nature (http://www.nature.com), Vol. 414:88,2001.

Next time

Peripheral Nervous System

Based on scientific research, what three characteristics

do these mammals all have in common

2. Mammary
with these mammals?

glands
1. Hair
3.Special
inner ear bones