Which section type would best reveal the organization of skeletal muscle fibers into fascicles and connective tissue layers?

Which section type would best reveal the organization of skeletal muscle fibers into fascicles and connective tissue layers?

• A. Longitudinal Section of Skeletal Muscle
• B. Cross Section of Skeletal Muscle
• C. Longitudinal Section of Cardiac Muscle
• D. Cross Section of Cardiac Muscle

Answer: (D)

Fascicles and the connective tissue layers are best revealed by a cross-sectional view of skeletal muscle. A cross section cuts through the muscle perpendicular to the fibers, showing the arrangement of fibers grouped into fascicles and the surrounding connective tissue: endomysium around each fiber, perimysium around each fascicle, and epimysium around the whole muscle. This view makes the bundled organization clear, which is not as readily seen in a longitudinal cut that follows the length of the fibers. Cardiac muscle, despite its own organized structure, does not display the same skeletal fascicle arrangement, so a cross section of skeletal muscle is the most informative choice for this question.

Fascicles and the connective tissue layers are best revealed by a cross-sectional view of skeletal muscle. A cross section cuts through the muscle perpendicular to the fibers, showing the arrangement of fibers grouped into fascicles and the surrounding connective tissue: endomysium around each fiber, perimysium around each fascicle, and epimysium around the whole muscle. This view makes the bundled organization clear, which is not as readily seen in a longitudinal cut that follows the length of the fibers. Cardiac muscle, despite its own organized structure, does not display the same skeletal fascicle arrangement, so a cross section of skeletal muscle is the most informative choice for this question.