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Lesson: Chapter 1 — Living Tissues

1.2.3. Muscle tissue 3 of 6

Skeletal muscle

The muscle you can see, decide to use, and feel the next morning.

Figure to be added

Figure 1.19 — skeletal muscle tissue: long unbranched cylindrical fibres lying side by side, each crossed by regular dark and light bands along its length, with several nuclei pressed against the edge of each fibre.

Where it is found

Skeletal muscle tissue is mostly connected with the skeletal system, and it contributes to the locomotion and the movements of vertebrates. The biceps, the triceps, the muscles of the leg and the muscles of the face are all examples.

The characteristics

  • They are long cylindrical cells and are not branched.
  • They are multinucleate cells bearing cross striations, with the nuclei situated at the periphery of the cell, and a large number of mitochondria.
  • They act voluntarily, and they tire when worked excessively.

Many nuclei, pushed to the edge

A skeletal muscle fibre is far too long for one nucleus to control, so it has many along its length. They sit at the edge because the middle is packed with the contracting machinery — putting a nucleus there would be putting it in the way. Compare the smooth muscle cell, which is short enough for one nucleus in the middle.