SMOOTH MUSCLE– 1
Unlike skeletal and cardiac muscle fibers, smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped, with tapered, somewhat pointed ends, as can be seen in several of the fibers in these images. However, their shape is not always easy to recognize in histological sections because the cells are usually very closely packed together.
The images show diagrams and photomicrographs of smooth muscle cells in longitudinal and cross-sections.
Notice the central position of the nucleus, which is usually located in the thickest part of the cell. For this reason, nuclei are not visible in every cross-sectioned cell. Because the cells are cut at different levels, a cross-section may pass through the cell but miss its nucleus.
