Histology Flashcards
Describe the location of the nuclei in muscle fibres and explain why they are found there
Found at the periphery of the cell as the cell is so packed with actin and myosin that the nuclei are pushed to the side
What is a syncytium?
A mass containing several nuclei
Myofibrils are grouped into bundles called…
Muscle fibres (the skeletal muscle cell)
Muscle fibres are grouped into bundles called…
Fascicles
Fascicles are grouped into…
The final skeletal muscle
Myofibrils -> muscle fibres -> fascicles -> skeletal muscle
What is the connective tissue that surrounds... - the muscle as a whole - a single fascicle - a single muscle fibre ...called?
Epimysium (whole muscle)
Perimysium (single fascicle)
Endomysium (single muscle fibre)
What causes the perpendicular striations seen in skeletal muscle fibres?
The z-lines of the sarcomeres inside the myofibrils are aligned from one myofibril to the next
Describe each of the following regions of the sarcomere:
- I band
- A band
- H band
- M line
- I band = zone of just actin
- A band = the entire length of myosin (so includes some actin)
- H band = zone of just myosin
- M line = line down the centre of the sarcomere
What are the 3 types of skeletal muscle fibre?
Type I
Type IIa
Type IIb
Describe type I fibres (aka ‘red’ fibres) in terms of speed of contraction, metabolism and resistance to fatigue
- Slow contracting fibres with weak force
- Oxidative metabolism (so require lots of mitochondria and myoglobin)
- Good resistance to fatigue
Describe type IIa fibres in terms of speed of contraction, metabolism and resistance to fatigue
- Relatively fast contraction
- Reasonably resistant to fatigue
(these fibres are uncommon)
Describe type IIb fibres (aka ‘white’ fibres) in terms of speed of contraction, metabolism and resistance to fatigue
- Fast contracting fibres with great force
- Anaerobic metabolism (so have fewer mitochondria and myoglobin)
- Fatigue easily
Describe the difference in the way that cartilage and bone receive their O2 and nutrients from blood
Cartilage is permeable so O2 and nutrients can diffuse through the ECM, therefore it is avascular
Bone is impermeable so blood vessels must be embedded in the tissue to supply it with O2 and nutrients
What are chondrocytes and where are they found?
- Chondrocytes secrete and maintain the ECM of cartilage
- Each chondrocyte lives inside its own little space in the ECM called a lacuna
ECM in hyaline cartilage is composed of 75% X, 15% Y and 5% Z
75% water
15% type II collagen (a finer type of collagen that helps resist tearing)
5% proteoglycan
Name and briefly describe the 3 different types of cartilage
Hyaline cartilage -> most common type, found in joints and trachea, blue-white and translucent
Elastic cartilage -> lots of collagen has been replaced with elastic fibres so more flexible, found in ear tip, light yellow colour
Fibrocartilage -> hybrid between hyaline cartilage and tendon, very strong, white in colour