The structure of muscle cells: 1 - axon ; 2 - neuromuscular synapse ; 3 - muscle cell (myocyte); 4 - myofibril
Myocytes , or muscle cells, are a special type of cell that makes up the bulk of muscle tissue . Myocytes are long, elongated cells that develop from progenitor cells - myoblasts [1] . There are several types of myocytes: myocytes of the heart muscle ( cardiomyocytes ), skeletal and smooth muscles. Each of these types has special properties. For example, cardiomyocytes, among other things, generate electrical impulses that set the heart rate .
Terminology
In connection with the extremely unusual structure of a muscle cell, a special terminology was created for its description by cytologists. Each of the specific terms related to a muscle cell corresponds to an analogue used to describe ordinary cells.
| Muscle cell | Other cells |
| sarcoplasm | cytoplasm |
| sarcoplasmic reticulum | smooth endoplasmic reticulum |
| sarcosome | mitochondria |
| sarcolemma | cell membrane , or plasma membrane |
Notes
- ↑ MeSH Myocytes