Meat Science

SMOOTH MUSCLE

• Smooth muscle is present in the greatest quantity in the walls of arteries, lymph vessels and in gastrointestinal and reproductive tracts.
• It is involuntary in nature.
• Smooth muscle fibres are long, unevenly thickened in the centre and tapering on both the sides.
• The myofibrils are homogenous and do not show alternating dark and light bands like those of skeletal muscle.
• There are no Z or M-lines.
• The SR is also not much developed. Smooth muscle is poorly supplied with blood.