Questions

Skeletal Muscile

#3 Muscle and tendon junction, H&E

Define a sarcomere. Be sure you know what the electron microscope has revealed about its fine structure. Know the structural changes that occur in a sarcomere during contraction and the theory that has evolved from electron microscopic studies to explain muscle contraction.

Cardiac Muscle

#17 Heart, (Mallory-Azan)

What is the position of the nuclei?
Do the myofibrils pass through intercalated discs?
How can you distinguish cross sections of cardiac muscle fibers from those of skeletal muscle fibers?

Smooth Muscle

OPTIONAL: #102 Small intestine (Bodian/silver)

Note that when the muscle cells are cut in cross section, there are interruptions in the basal laminae. What is responsible for these discontinuities?

QUESTIONS

  1. Why do smooth muscle fibers in cross section have different diameters and why do some of these fail to show nuclei?
  2. Are myofibrils or sarcomeres present in smooth muscle fibers?
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