Page 301 - Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations

FIGURE 8.3 | Skeletal (Striated) Muscles: Tongue

(Longitudinal Section and Cross Section)

A higher-magnification photomicrograph of the tongue illustrates individual
skeletal muscle fibers (3, 9) in both cross section (3) and longitudinal section

(9). In each, the muscle fibers are visible as tiny myofibrils (4). In the
longitudinal section of the muscle fiber (9), the multiple cross-striations (10) are
visible with peripheral nuclei (5, 9). Surrounding each skeletal muscle fiber (3,

9) is a thin layer of connective tissue endomysium (2, 6), seen both in cross
section (2) and in longitudinal section (6). The thicker connective tissue layer
perimysium (1, 7) surrounds a group of individual muscle fibers called
fascicles. Visible in the perimysium (7) are tiny capillaries with flattened
erythrocytes (8).

FIGURE 8.3 ■ Skeletal (striated) muscles of the tongue (longitudinal and
transverse section). Stain: Masson trichrome. ×130.

FIGURE 8.4 | Skeletal Muscle Fibers

(Longitudinal Section)

A higher-magnification illustrates greater detail of individual skeletal muscle
fibers and the cross-striations. A cell membrane, or sarcolemma (4), surrounds
each skeletal muscle fiber (2). The flattened muscle fiber nuclei (1, 10) are in
the periphery. Adjacent to the nuclei (1, 10) is the thin cytoplasm or sarcoplasm

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