Meat Science

CONNECTIVE TISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH MUSCLE

• Muscles are composed of muscle fibre or muscle cells, the structural units of muscles.
• A connective tissue sheath, referred to as epimysium is the outermost layer of every muscle.
• A finer connective tissue, referred to as perimysium emerge from the epimysium, penetrate the muscle, and divide muscle into muscle fibre bundles by aggregating muscle fibres, and cover the muscle fibre bundles.
• A finer connective tissue framework known as the endomysium, emanates from the perimysium and covers each individual muscles fibres.
• Connective tissue networks act as channels for passage of blood vessels and nerve fibres.
• Endomysium is an amorphous, non-fibrous sheath and is collagenous in nature.
• The collagenous fibres of the endomysium are associated with the cell membrane of the muscle fibre, sarcolemma by means of the basement membrane
• Sarcolemma is similar to plasmalemma of any other animal cell in respect of structure, composition and function and is endowed with great elasticity to endure the great distortion it undergoes during muscular contraction and relaxation.
• The sarcolemma, basement membrane and endomysium though closely associated, are distinct entities.