Muscle Tissue

The muscle tissue is an assemblage of cells which

are highly specialized in contractility by virtue of
their cellular contents of contractile structural
proteins.
The contractile ability of muscle cells is responsible
for movements in some organs and the body as a
whole.
Muscle cells are derived from the embryonic
mesoderm through a process of cellular elongation
accompanied
by
intracellular
synthesis
of
myofibrilar proteins.
Muscle tissue is widely distributed all over the body.

Classification of muscles (See Fig M1)

Muscle cells are classified into four main types
based on structural and functional properties of the
cells.
These include:
1. Striated skeletal muscle: Striated skeletal muscle
usually exist in bundles which are made up of
long, cylindrical and multinucleated cells. They
also posses cross striations under the light
microscope and are often attached to bones
(skeleton). They are multinucleated and
voluntarily controlled
2. Striated non-skeletal muscle: This muscle type
share the same properties with striated skeletal
muscle except that they are not attached to
bones and are not under voluntary control.

3. Cardiac muscle: This muscle type also exists in

bundles,
posses
cross
striations,
long,
cylindrical, multinucleated and branching cells.
The cells (fibres) run parallel to one another and
are connected end-to-end by intercalated disks.
Cardiac muscles are not under voluntary control
and are restricted to the heart and some veins.
4. Smooth Muscle: Smooth muscles are made up of
bundles of small, fusiform, and mononucleated
cell which have no cross striation under light
microscopic view. This muscle type is widely
distributed in the internal organs and is not
under voluntary control.

Other Characteristic features of the

basic types of muscles are best
appreciated
by
a
tabular
comparison of the muscles as
follows:

Histological Organization of Muscles

(See Fig M2)
For all muscle type, the cell membrane is referred to
as the sarcolemma, the cytoplasm is called the
sracoplasm and the endoplasmic reticulum is called
the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
An entire muscle is often surrounded by a connective
tissue sheath called Epimysium. Each bundle of
muscle cells within the epimysium is enclosed in a
connective tissue sheath called Perimysium. Each
muscle cell is surrounded by a connective tissue
sheath called Endomysium.
The connective tissue sheaths surrounding the muscle
cells contain capillary network, nerve plexus and
lymphatic vessels.

Internal Organization of the Skeletal Muscle

(See Fig M3A & M3B):
A skeletal muscle fibre may be up to 35 cm in length
with a diameter ranging from 10 to 100 micron
Under the light microscope, a longitudinal section of a
skeletal muscle fibre show cross-striation which
comprises alternating dark and light bands.
The dark bands are referred to as the
A band (Anisotropic band) and
The Light band are the I band (Isotropic band).
Under the electron microscopic view, each I band is
divided in the middle by a transverse line called the
Z line.

 The dark bands are also formed by Myosin

contractile proteins while the light bands are
formed by Actin contractile proteins.
The contractile apparatus of the muscle is
subdivided into subunit referred to as the
SARCOMERE
The distance from one Z line to the next one
constitutes the Sarcomere of the skeletal
muscle (See Diagram).
Sarcomeres are also interconnected at the Z
line by the proteins -actinin and desmin.

 Under the electron microscope, the A band

is also divided in the middle by a transverse
line called the M Line. This is the region at
which adjacent myosin are interconnected
laterally. It is also formed mainly by creatine
kinase a protein involved in the synthesis of
ATP.
There are two light zones on either side of
the M line. These collectively constitute the
H band within the A band.
In this region there is no overlap between
myosin and actin (See Fig. M3).

Contractile Proteins of the Striated muscle

(See Fig. M4):
Myosin and Actin are the principal proteins
of the myofibrils constituting 55% of
myofibrillar proteins. (Ratio 1-6)
While Myosin forms the thick filaments,
Actin forms the thin filament.
Two other contractile proteins associated
with the thin filaments are:
Tropomyosin (40 nm long) and
Troponin (Three globular subunits)

The Tubular systems of the Skeletal Muscle

(See Fig. M5A & M5B):
The tubular systems of the striated muscle
comprise the:
The transverse (T) tubules: These are fingerlike invaginations of the sarcolemma which
form tubular network around the myofibril at
the junction the light and dark bands. They
serve as channels through which electrical
impulse is propagated from the exterior to
the interior of the muscle cell.

Sarcoplasmic Reticulum tubules:

The smooth sarcoplasmic reticulum of the
muscle cell form terminal cisternae on either
side of the T tubular network leading to the
establishment of a system of three tubules
referred to as the Triad complex of tubules.
The sarcoplasmic tubules contain calcium
ions which are released from the tubules on
stimulation by the impulse passing along
the T tubular network (See Diagram).

Internal Organization of the Cardiac

Muscle (See Fig. M6A & M6B):
Cardiac muscle has an average diameter of 15
and length range of 85-100.
Most cells are mononucleated but a few are
binucleated.
In all cases the nuclei are centrally located.
Cardiac muscle consists of branching muscle
fibres and adjacent fibres are connected end to
end via these branches by intercalated disks.
Intercalated disks are specialized junctional
complexes which are peculiar to cardiac muscle.

They are made up of three components viz.

Fasciae Adherentes which serve as anchoring
site for actin fibres
Maculae Adherentes which bind cardiac muscle
fibres together and
Gap Junctions which provide channels for ionic
and electric flow between cardiac muscle cells
(fibres).
The arrangement of myofibrils in the cardiac
muscle is similar to the arrangement in skeletal
muscle.

 Other Contents of the sarcoplasm of

cardiac muscle:
Glycogen: This is the energy source of
the muscle and is stored in granules.
Myoglobin: This is an oxygen binding
protein similar to hemoglobin in blood. It
imparts dark red color on the muscle

Cardiac Tubular System:

The T-tubular systems are larger and more
numerous compared with skeletal muscle.
However, only one sarcoplasmic reticular
tubule is associated with the T-tubule thus a
diads tubular system is established in the
cardiac muscular system.

Other features of the sracoplasm of cardiac

muscle include:

Abundance of mitochondria which constitute

40% of the sracoplasm
Large deposit of fatty acids as glyceride as
the major fuel of cardiac muscle
Small amount of glycogen
Granules of lipofuscin pigments
1.
Granules of the precursor of Atrial
natriuretic factor which is stored in large amount
(around the nucleus) in the right atrium and less
quantity in other cardiac muscles.

Internal Organization of the Smooth Muscle

(Fig. M7A & 7B)
The length of the spindle shaped smooth
muscle cell varies from one organ to the other.
In the vascular wall it is about 20 while in the
gravid uterus it could be as long as 500.
Smooth muscle cell is surrounded by a basal
lamina and a network of reticular fibres which
ensures that a bundle of smooth muscle
contract in unison.
Smooth muscle lacks T-tubular system but
widely distributed sarcoplasmic reticulum.

 The myofibrils which comprise myosin actin and

tropomyosin are arranged in a crisscross
pattern.
The contractile filaments are attached to focal
densities in the sracoplasm and to attachment
densities on the sarcolemma.
The mechanism of contraction of actin and
myosin filament is similar to the mechanism in
skeletal muscle.
Intermediate filaments called desmin are also
found in the smooth muscle.
Electrical and ionic communication between
smooth muscle cells are effected through Nexus
(Gap) junctions.

Other sarcoplasmic contents of the smooth

muscle include:
Calmodulin: This is a calcium binding
protein which forms a complex with calcium
ions. The complex so formed activates the
interaction between myosin and actin.
Mitochondria
Polyribosomes
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi complex
Pinocytotic vesicles

Regeneration of muscle tissue:

Striated skeletal and non-skeletal muscles
increase in size and number by proliferation
of inactive myoblasts called satellite cells.
Smooth muscles also regenerate from
mononucleated cells.
Cardiac
muscles
are
incapable
of
regeneration

The Neuromuscular Junction (See Fig. M8):

This is the contact point between the muscle and its
nerve supply. It is also referred to as the
Myoneuronal junction or Motor end plate:
The principal features of this structure are:
Demyelination of the synaptic bulb
Synaptic Cleft (gap) containing neurotransmitter
Synaptic junctional folds on the sarcolemma
Presynaptic vesicles containing neurotransmitter
Pre and Post synaptic abundance of Mitochondria
Several nuclei, ribosomes and glycogen granules
beneath the junctional folds
Neurotransmitter receptors on the sarcolemma