Muscle Tissue Flashcards
What is a myoblast?
The muscle stem cell that forms from the mesodermal layers of the mesodermal layers of the embryo. They lack myofilaments, but contain many free ribosomes that will be used to synthesize them.
How are skeletal muscle cells formed?
They develop from myoblasts and become striated, and under control of somatic nervous system. Myoblasts will also become an undifferentiated cell type called satellite cells.
What are myosatellite cells? What is their function?
They are undifferentiated myoblasts which are located between the plasma membrane and external lamina of striated muscle. They allow for limited regeneration of skeletal muscle.
What forms cardiac muscle cells?
Mesenchymal cells from mesodermal embryonic connective tissue. They will become striated muscle but are branched. It is autorhythmic and will contract without nervous input, but is modulated by parasympathetic & sympathetic nervous systems. Capable of limited regen.
What makes up smooth muscle?
Derived from mesenchymal myoblasts, composed of nonstriated muscle, spindle-shaped (fusiform) cells. Usually found arranged in sheets around tubular organs, they are capable of moderate regeneration
What surrounds all types of muscle cells?
External (basal) lamina
How many nuclei does each muscle type have?
Skeletal - multinucleated
Cardiac - mono-nucleated or binucleated
Smooth - mono-nucleated
What is a myocyte?
A skeletal muscle cell, also called a muscle fiber. Each muscle fiber is composed of myofibrils, which are long, tubular, striated elements.
What makes up a myofibril?
Repeating subunits of sarcomeres. Each sarcomere is composed of parallel arrays of actin and myosin filaments.
What are the three connective tissue layers surrounding muscle cells?
Epimysium - thick, dense irregular connective tissue covering
Perimysium - Collagenous tissue which makes up the bundles (fascicles) of muscle cells walled off by septae
Endomysium - loose, highly vascularized connective tissue matrix containing type 1 and type 3 (reticular) collagen
What goes to every myocyte?
Each myocyte is surrounded by an external lamina and is innervated by a single axon.
What makes up the gross structure of a skeletal muscle cell?
They are unbranched, cylindrical, taper at their ends, and may be up to a few cm long. Nuclei are located just below plasma membrane near the noncontractile organelles (Golgi, rough ER)
What are the three bands clearly visible in striated muscle by H&E?
I-band = LIght band, lightly stained, formed by the empty regions filled with uncoiled titin
A-band = dArk band, dark stained, formed by myosin thick filaments running parallel
Z-line or Z-disc = line running through the middle of the I-band, which represents the actin backbone that forms the borders of the sarcomere.
what defines every sarcomere and what do they make up?
A sarcomere is a repeated pattern of Z-band to Z-band. Put back to back, they make up the myofibril, which fills the sarcoplasm (cytoplasm) of myocytes
Each sarcomere has an A-band and two half I-bands
What proteins keep adjacent myofibrils aligned?
Desmin and vimentin are intermediate filaments which link adjacent myofibrils toegher at the Z-line, and bind them to the plasma membrane.
What links actin filaments of sarcomere to the Z-disc?
alpha-actinin - It is cross-linking actin. Same protein used in stereocilia for the terminal web.
What is the M-line?
Myosin filament bundles making up the thick filament A-band are anchored in the center of the sarcomere via the protein myomesin.
What is the structure of a myosin molecule?
Two heavy chain proteins make up the helical backbone, with 2 globular heads each having two light chains. There is an ATP binding site, and actin binding site, and an ATPase.
What is titin?
A long spring-like protein which runs between the Z-line and the M-line. It helps center the myosin filaments in the sarcomere, and uses its spring to contribute to relaxation after contraction stops
How is a myosin filament made?
Much like actin, myosin filaments will come together spontaneously from myosin molecules. Half a filament is attached at the M line, and makes half an A-band.