Skeletal Muscle Tissue: Contraction, Sarcomere, Myofibril Anatomy Myology

Skeletal muscle tissue is one of three types of muscle tissue in the human body. The other two types of muscle tissue include cardiac and smooth muscle tissue. Skeletal muscles attach mostly to bones, and they allow us to move our bodies voluntarily via the somatic nervous system. Skeletal muscles are organs, and they are surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called epimysium. Fascicles within the muscle organ consist of several muscle fibers, and the fascicle is surrounded by perimysium. The individual muscle fibers are surrounded by connective tissue called endomsium, as well as a cell membrane called sarcolemma. Within each muscle fiber are many myofibrils, which are surrounded by sarcoplasm. The myofibrils are made up of repeating contractile units called sarcomeres. Sarcomeres contain filaments that slide during muscle contraction. Thick myosin filaments bend and attach to the thin actin filaments, sliding them toward the midline of the sarcomere. This is known as slidin