T. Clark Brelje, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
6-160 Jackson Hall
321 Church St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Robert L. Sorenson, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
6-160 Jackson Hall
321 Church St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
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At the end of muscles, the connective tissue that surrounds muscle cells usually continues as a band of connective tissue that forms a tendon which attaches the muscle to bone.
In this specimen, the tendon (dense regular connective tissue) is across the top, while the skeletal muscle is at the bottom.
The muscle insertion into the tendon is best seen near the tip of the muscle.
Some muscle fibers end in collagen fibers that continue into the tendon.
The endomysium of other muscle fibers merge with collagen fibers of the tendon.
Tendons may also contain areas of fibrocartilage (#1 and #2) as seen in this specimen.
The collagen fibers in fibrocartilage have an irregular arrangement. While those in the dense regular connective tissue of the tendon have a uniform, parallel arrangement. Fibrocartilage is made by chondrocytes that are round to oval with a clear space surrounding the nuclei. In contrast, the rest of the tendon is made by fibroblasts that are thin, spindle shaped cells tightly applied to the collagen bundles. Both fibrocartilage and dense regular connective tissue contain type I collagen.
