Skeletal Muscle Fiber

Skeletal muscles are the types of muscle tissue that enable us with voluntary movements. They are attached to the bones of the skeleton by tendons.

Skeletal muscle fibers have a striated (striped) appearance on histological sections because they are made up of smaller units called sarcomeres that run parallel to each other, giving the muscle the striated appearance.

A sarcomere is the smallest functional unit of skeletal muscle tissue, and each sarcomere has thick and thin filaments primarily composed of the proteins myosin and actin.

The interaction of actin and myosin causes muscle contraction and therefore movement.

Learn the physiology of skeletal muscles with the interactive tutorials and diagrams below.