Muscle fascicle

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Muscle Fascicle[edit | edit source]

A Muscle Fascicle is a bundle of skeletal muscle fibers surrounded by Perimysium, a type of connective tissue.

File:Muscle fascicle.png
A diagram showing a muscle fascicle and its surrounding structures

Structure[edit | edit source]

Muscle fascicles are found within the Epimysium, which is the connective tissue sheath that surrounds a muscle. Each muscle fascicle contains many muscle fibers, and each muscle fiber is surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called the Endomysium.

Function[edit | edit source]

Muscle fascicles allow the nervous system to trigger specific movements by activating a specific set of muscle fibers within a muscle. The arrangement of muscle fascicles can affect the force, range, and speed of muscle movement.

Types of Fascicle Arrangement[edit | edit source]

There are several types of fascicle arrangements in muscles, including:

  • Parallel - The fascicles run parallel to the long axis of the muscle, such as in the biceps brachii.
  • Fusiform - The fascicles are spindle-shaped, with a wider middle and tapered ends, such as in the digastric muscle.
  • Circular - The fascicles are arranged in concentric circles, such as in the orbicularis oris.
  • Pennate - The fascicles are short and attach obliquely to a central tendon running the length of the muscle. There are three types of pennate muscles: unipennate, bipennate, and multipennate.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD