Smooth muscle tissue

    This shows tissue of smooth muscle at 400x magnification.

smooth muscle tissue is made ​​up of individual cells long from 20 mM to 0.5 mm with a central oval nucleus evident. The smooth muscle is under the control of the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system. The smooth muscle tissue generates two types of contraction, a "rhythmic", where you detect periodic pulses that spread in all the tissue, and a "tonic", which gives the walls visceral a state of partial contraction said "muscle tone" . Generally, in this muscle tissue we find a contraction speed lower than the other tissues, with the ability, however, to maintain it for a long time and with a relatively low energy expenditure. The smooth muscle cells, depending on their function, assume a different spatial location. In the vessels have a circular pattern, so as to create a set of rings that can facilitate the rhythmic movement. In the viscera and in large hollow organs, however, the smooth muscle cells, take, generally, a circular, inner, and one, perpendicular to the first, in longitudinal arrangement, more external. This organization allows a better grip of the viscera and facilitates the movement of the contents of the gut in its path, thanks to the peristaltic movements of the wall. In some hollow organs, such as the urinary bladder and the uterus, the laminae muscle assume a less regular pattern and form a dense network so as to have, in addition to the function of support and typical shrinkage of each muscle tissue, also the task of facilitating the extension in space and therefore to increase the capacity of the containment body itself. This type of muscle tissue is said "flexiform".

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Cardiac striated muscle tissue

cells that make up the striated muscle tissue are called cardiac myocytes , have branched shape and size of 85-100 uM and 15 uM in length and in width, have striae transverse very well visible (as in striated muscle skeletal) and a central core and very obvious (as in the smooth muscle tissue). A peculiar feature of the cardiac muscle tissue is the presence of specialized devices for the junction between cell and cell: the intercalated disks . There are also "gap junctions" that allow you to electrically couple the myocytes allowing them a simultaneous contraction.

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Striated skeletal muscle tissue

striated skeletal muscle tissue formed during the embryonic life, from the fusion of several myoblasts to form a miotubo, the cells that form a syncytium cell elongated cylindrical shape that takes the name of the muscle fiber . The single muscle fiber is characterized by transverse stripes that form the characteristic bands, lighter or darker, visible by light microscopy. The core is extremely elongated and peripheral. Each muscle fiber is surrounded by a delicate layer of reticular connective called endomysium . The fibers are arranged in groups to form bundles surrounded by connective tissue: the perimysium . In turn, the bundles of muscle fibers are organized to form the individual muscles that are surrounded by connective tissue called epimysium . This organization allows the striated muscle to be able to stretch and contract quickly without damage.The contraction of this muscle is voluntary.

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