Skeletal Muscle – Tutorial

Please read Unit 4 – Introduction to Muscle Tissue prior to completing the activities in this chapter.

Introduction to Skeletal Muscle

Skeletal muscle, also referred to as striated muscle, consists of large cylindrical (tube-like) cells under voluntary control.  The primary function of skeletal muscle is to move parts of the body or to support body structures by pulling on bones, cartilage, and/or other connective tissues when they contract.  Skeletal muscle also forms the sphincters that control the voluntary movement of urine and feces out of the body.  Skeletal muscle cells are some of the largest cells in the body, both in length and diameter, and are characterized by distinct striations and the presence of hundreds of peripheral nuclei squeezed between the outer cell membrane (sarcolemma) and myofibrils (bundles of muscle cell proteins).

Voluntary contraction of an individual skeletal muscle cell (muscle fiber) is stimulated by a motor neuron at a neuromuscular junction.  In other words, every skeletal muscle cell has its own synapse with a motor neuron that regulates its contraction.  The structure and function of neuromuscular junctions is covered in a separate chapter in this unit (Neuromuscular Junction – Tutorial).

Tutorial:  Use the image slider below to learn more about the characteristics of skeletal muscle tissue. 

Microscopy:  Use the image slider below to learn how to use a microscope to study skeletal muscle tissue on a microscope slide.

Tutorial:  Use the hotspot image below to learn more about the characteristics of skeletal muscle tissue. 

Tutorial:  Use the image slider below to study numerous examples of skeletal muscle tissue.