Histology
Laszlo Vass, Ed.D. Version 42-0013-00-01

Lab RepoRt assistant

This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor.

Purpose

What is the purpose of this exercise?
The purpose of this exercise is to use the microscope to get an in depth look at different cell structures and to learn how the shape and
Explain how this might affect the ability of these tissues to heal after an injury.

If there is limited blood supply it means the nutrients and supplies to heal an injury in this area are not that readily available.

Exercise 3: Muscle Tissue
Observations

Data Table 3: Muscle Tissue

Muscle

Shape and Arrangement of Cells
Str ia tions
Present?

Skeletal
Single, very long cylindrical, multinucleated cells with obvious striations; lots of mitochondria
Yes

Smooth
Single, spindle shaped cells (thick in the middle and pointed at the end), uninucleated (in the center); little mitochondria; dense bodies
No

Cardiac
Branching chains of cells, uni or bi nucleated; striations; nucleus in center; lots of mitochondria
Yes

Questions

A. What kind of muscle would you find in the stomach?

Smooth muscle tissue is found in the stomach.

B. How is smooth muscle structure different from that of skeletal and cardiac muscle?
Smooth muscle structure is different from skeletal and cardiac muscle because smooth muscle can contract on their own. Smooth muscle tissue has no striations.

C. Why is skeletal muscle voluntary?
Skeletal muscle is voluntary because skeletal fiber muscles do not contract unless stimulated by nerves and the nervous system provides voluntary control over their activities.

D. What is unique about cardiac muscle?

Cardiac muscles are unique because they have a striated