Muscular Tissue

Skeletal Muscle Tissue
Skeletal Muscle Tissue (Magnified)
Cardiac Muscle Tissue
Smooth Muscle Tissue
Connective Tissue Coverings of Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Skeletal Muscle Tissue (Magnified)

Cardiac Muscle Tissue

Smooth Muscle Tissue

Connective Tissue Coverings of Skeletal Muscle

×

Cardiac Muscle Tissue

Structure

Short, branched cells; appear striated; single centrally located nucleus; adjacent cells are connected via intercalated discs which contain gap junctions and desmosomes.

Location

Heart.

Function

Pump heart, which propels blood around the body.

Nervous control

Under involuntary (subconscious) control.

Capacity for Regeneration

None; any repair is done via scar (dense, irregular) tissue.

×

Connective Tissue Coverings of Skeletal Muscle

Location

Skeletal muscle cells are surrounded and protected by multiple layers of connective tissue.

Structure

Fascia: dense sheet of dense, irregular connective tissue; separates and compartmentalises groups of muscles, for example separates the biceps brachii muscle from the triceps brachii muscle.
Epimysium: outermost layer of dense irregular connective tissue that surrounds entire muscle.
Perimysium: an extension of the epimysium that surrounds groups (called ‘fascicles’) of 10-100 muscle cells.
Endomysium: innermost layer of loose connective tissue that surround each muscle cell.

Function

Connective tissue has three important functions in muscle.

  1. It protects muscle.
  2. It holds muscle cells with similar functions together so they contract in unison.
  3. It brings blood vessels and nerves into and out of muscle tissue.
×

Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Structure

Large, long, cylindrical cells; appear striated (dark/light bands); multinucleated with nuclei located at edge of cell; no junctions between cells.

Location

Mostly attached to bones via tendons.

Function

Move the body; maintain posture; generate heat (e.g. shivering).

Nervous control

Under voluntary (conscious) control.

Capacity for Regeneration

Limited; any regeneration occurs via differentiation of satellite cells into new skeletal muscle cells.

×

Skeletal Muscle Tissue (Magnified)

Structure

Large, long, cylindrical cells; appear striated (dark/light bands); multinucleated with nuclei located at edge of cell; no junctions between cells.

Location

Mostly attached to bones via tendons.

Function

Move the body; maintain posture; generate heat (e.g. shivering).

Nervous control

Under voluntary (conscious) control.

Capacity for Regeneration

Limited; any regeneration occurs via differentiation of satellite cells into new skeletal muscle cells.

×

Smooth Muscle Tissue

Structure

Small, squamous-shaped cell; non-striated; single centrally located nucleus; adjacent cells can be connected via gap junctions.

Location

In the wall of hollow organs (e.g. stomach, intestines) and tubes (e.g. blood vessels, trachea).

Function

Movement of food (gastrointestinal tract), blood (blood vessel), air (bronchioles) and urine (ureter, bladder and urethra).

Nervous control

Under involuntary (subconscious) control.

Capacity for Regeneration

Considerable as cells can divide.