SKELETAL MUSCLES
MUSCLE INTRODUCTION
• The word Muscle is derived from “MUS” which
means a mouse.
• As the muscle resembles Mouse in their external
appearance.
• Tendons of the muscle looks like the tail of mouse.
• This is the reason muscle is named as such.
MUSCLE TISSUE
Muscle tissue like other
body tissues have
• Cells
• Intercellular Substances
Cells of the muscles are elongated and
looks like fibers so named as muscle
fibers.
DIFFERENTIATION OF MUSCLE TISSUE
• Mesenchyme is responsible for forming most of the
muscle cells in embryo.
• Three types of muscle cells or fibers emerges from
mesenchyme after differentiation,
1. Skeletal Muscle Cell or fibers
2. Smooth Muscle Cell or fibers
3. Cardiac Muscle Cell or fibers
SKELETAL MUSCLES
SKELETAL MUSCLES
• The skeletal muscles are named as
such because of the fact that they
are attached to skeleton of the
body (which are bones and
cartilages).
SKELETAL MUSCLES:
•Have Skeletal Muscle Cells.
• Rapid and unsustained contraction.
•These muscles are controlled by
• Somatic Nervous System.
LOCATION OF PRESENCE:
Muscles attached to long bones
Diaphragm (Mostly Involuntary)
Tongue Muscles
Muscles of Eyes ball.
Muscles of Facial Expression
Muscles of Middle Ear etc.
STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE
SKELETAL MUSCLES
Skeletal muscle mass or skeletal
muscles are also made up of 2
things
• Skeletal Muscle fiber or cells
• Connective tissue coverings
STRUCTURE OF SKELETAL MUSCLES
• Each skeletal muscle having muscle
bundles and fibers(muscle cells) held
together by connective tissue.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE COVERINGS
AROUND SKELETAL MUSCLES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE COVERING
From out to in connective
tissue coverings are
• Epimysium
• Perimysium
• Endomysium
EPIMYSIUM
• It is sheath of dense irregular
connective tissue that surrounds the
entire muscle.
• The blood vessels and nerves of muscles get entry
into muscle by penetrating through epimysium.
FASCICLES
Bundles of muscle cells or fibers are
called as fascicles
PERIMYSIUM
• The connective tissue covering that
surrounds muscles bundles or
fascicles is named as Perimysium.
• The nerves and vessels that gets entry through epimysium,
run in perimysium and distribute to muscle fascicles.
ENDOMYSIUM
•A thin layer of connective tissue that
surrounds individual muscle fiber is
named as endomysium.
• It lies immediately outside to external lamina.
• The blood capillaries and nerve fibers run in this
layer to reach each muscle fiber.
SKELETAL MUSCLE CELL OR FIBER
SHAPE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBERS
• The skeletal muscle fibers are cylindrical in
shape.
• The width of skeletal muscle fiber varies
between 10-100um.
• The length varies from few mm to cm
average length being 3cm.
SARCOLEMMA
Each muscle fiber is enclosed by an
ordinary cell membrane called as plasma
membrane or sarcolemma.
It is just like an ordinary three layered
membrane of skeletal muscle fiber(cell).
EXTERNAL LAMINA OR BASAL LAMINA
• The sarcolemma of each skeletal muscle
fiber is surrounded by connective tissue
called as an external lamina.
EXTERNAL LAMINA
• It lies between endomysium and
sarcolemma of each skeletal muscle cell.
NUCLEI
NUCLEI
• In each skeletal muscle fiber, a lot of nuclei are
present, (about 35 nuclei per mm of length).
• The nuclei are oval in shape and lie towards
periphery of cell, just beneath cell membrane
inside cytoplasm.
CYTOPLASM (SARCOPLASM)
STRUCTURES WITHIN SARCOPLASM
Structures present inside sarcoplasm are
• Nuclei
• Myofibril
• Golgi apparatus
• Mitochondria
• Sarcoplasmic reticulum
• Ribosomes
• Glycogen granules
SARCOPLASM (CYTOPLASM OF SKELETAL
MUSCLE FIBER)
• The cytoplasm of skeletal muscle fiber is
almost filled by longitudinally arranged
contractile apparatus called as
myofibrils.
• Myofibrils extend the entire length of
skeletal muscle fiber.
WHAT ARE MYOFIBRILS?
MYOFIBRILS
• Myofibrils are the contractile apparatus of the
skeletal muscle fibers.
• The length of myofibrils varies between 1-4cm
depending upon length of muscle fiber.
• Diameter of myofibrils is 0.2 to 2 µm.
LIGHT MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF
MYOFIBRILS
CROSS STRIATIONS IN SARCOPLASM
• Each skeletal muscle fiber, under
LM shows cross striations in the
form of regularly alternating light
and dark bands.
RESPONSE OF STRIATIONS TO LIGHT
• 2 types of bands were visible
• Dark Bands (A band)
• Light Bands (I band)
I-BAND
• Light bands were isotropic under
polarizing microscope, so named as I-
Band.
• When polarized light is passed through
muscle at this area this light is
refracted at the same angle.
A BAND OR DARK BAND
• Dark bands were anisotropic under
polarizing microscope, so named
as A-Band.
Z-DISCS
• Each I-Band or Light band is bisected by a
dark line called Z-line (Z means
Zwischenscheibe meaning b/w discs).
• I-band is divided into 2 portions by means of
a narrow and dark line called Z-line or Z-disc.
H-ZONE & M-LINE
• In A-Band, a lighter central area is present
called H-Zone (H- means hell showing light).
• Each H-zone is bisected by a dark line called
as dark line called M-line(M- means mitte
means middle).
NOW GUESS?
SARCOMERES
• The segment of a myofibril which lies
between two successive z-lines is called as
sarcomere.
• This is about 2.5um in length or varies between
2-3um.
• it is the basic contractile unit of muscle.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF
MYOFIBRILS
STRUCTURE OF MYOFIBRILS
• They are made up of myofilaments.
• In each myofibrils, two kinds of myofilaments are
there,
• Thick Myofilaments: about 15nm in diameter and 1.5um
in length.
• Thin Myofilaments: about 7nm in diameter and 1.0um in
length.
MOLECULAR BASIS OF CROSS
STRIATIONS
• The cross striations seen in skeletal
muscle fiber or myofibrils is simply
due to distribution of myofilament in
myofibrils.
CONTRACTILE ELEMENTS OF MUSCLES
THICK MYOFILAMENTS
• Each thick myofilament is made up of
molecules of Myosin II.
• Each myosin II molecule is made up of 6
chains of amino acids
• 2 heavy chains
• 2 pairs of light chains.
HEAVY CHAIN
• Each heavy chain has shape like a golf club,
having tail and globular head.
• Head has sites for ATP and for actin. It also
contains ATPase.
• Tails of 2 heavy chains twist around each other as
double helix.
Head
THIN MYOFILAMENTS
• This myofilament is made up of protein actin
carrying sites for head attachment of myosin.
• In addition to actin 2 more proteins.
1. In addition to actin, two more proteins are
present
2. Tropomyosin (long slender filament)
3. Troponin
ACTIN
• There are 300 to 400 actin molecules in each
thin filament
• Each actin molecule is a polymer of small
proteins known as G-actin.
TROPONIN
• Each troponin consists of three sub-units. TnT,
TnI and TnC.
• TnI binds with actin and prevents actin myosin
interaction.
• TnT binds troponin with tropomyosin.
• TnC has affinity for Ca2+.
SARCOTUBULAR SYSTEM
SARCOTUBULAR SYSTEM
• It is a system of membranous structures in
the form of tubules in the sarcoplasm of
muscle cell.
• It surrounds the myofibrils embedded in
the sarcoplasm.
SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM
AND T-TUBULES SYSTEM
SARCOPLASMIC RETICULUM
• It is special type of endoplasmic reticulum , present
only in the striated muscles.
• Studies shows that, sarcoplasmic reticulum exists in
the form of network of cisternae or membranous
tubules which course around and between myofibrils.
• These tubules course in a longitudinal direction
that’s why also named as L-tubules.
T-TUBULES
• These are invaginations of sarcolemma of
muscle fiber.
• These tubules passes from sarcolemma at
regular intervals into interior of muscle
fiber, giving branches and lie between
terminal cisternae.
TRIAD
• Two terminal cisternae are present with central
transverse tubules i.e. T-tubules.
• This special kind of arrangement of two terminal
cisternae with central T-tubule is called as a triad.
VOLTAGE SENSORS AND CALCIUM
CHANNELS
• Terminal cisternae are storehouse of Ca2+.
• The membrane of these cisternae have Ca2+ channels.
• T-tubules on the other hand has voltage sensor
proteins.
• These sensor proteins senses voltage across
sarcolemma.
MECHANISM
When nerve impulse reaches and depolarization of sarcolemma occurs, voltage sensor
proteins activates.
When these sensors are activated, it cause release of Ca2+ from terminal cisternae.
In the sarcoplasm Ca2+ binds with TnC subunit of troponin molecule, leading towards
muscle contraction.
After contraction is over, Ca2+ are put back into terminal cisternae of Sarcoplasmic
Reticulum by action of Ca2+ ATPase Pump.
THANK YOU
