A longitudinal and cross section of skeletal muscle. See also Slide 33, a section through the tip of the tongue in which the skeletal muscle is sectioned longitudinally, obliquely and crosswise. To view the striations of skeletal muscle in an H/E specimen, the condenser of the microscope must be turned down to obtain as much contrast as possible. Remember to turn the condenser back to its original position after you have finished.
Identify microscopically:
Longitudinal section
Skeletal muscle fibers
Nuclei of the skeletal muscle fibers and connective tissue
Cross striations
Connective tissue
Cross section
Skeletal muscle fibers arranged in bundles
Size, shape and diameter of the muscle bundles
Nuclei of the skeletal muscle fibers
Myofibrils
Connective tissue
Draw and annotate:
A longitudinal AND cross section of skeletal muscle.
Reflection:
What is characteristic of skeletal muscle?
What is characteristic of the nuclei of skeletal muscle and how do they differ from those of smooth muscle?
How does skeletal muscle differ in longitudinal and cross section from smooth muscle?
What are skeletal muscle fibre bundles called?
Can all the subdivisions of muscle connective tissue be seen on this specimen? What is the connective tissue is called?