A single cell of skeletal muscle is known as a

A single cell of skeletal muscle is known as a

• A. Cardiac Myocyte
• B. Skeletal Muscle Fiber (Myofiber)
• C. Smooth Muscle Cell
• D. Neuron

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that a single contracting unit of skeletal muscle is called a skeletal muscle fiber, also known as a myofiber. These are elongated, multinucleated cells formed by the fusion of many precursor cells during development, and they run the length of the muscle. Inside each fiber, many myofibrils contain the repeating sarcomeres that generate contraction. This is different from cardiac muscle cells (cardiomyocytes), which are shorter, branched cells in the heart, and from smooth muscle cells, which are spindle-shaped and non-striated found in walls of hollow organs. Neurons are nerve cells, not muscle cells.

The main idea is that a single contracting unit of skeletal muscle is called a skeletal muscle fiber, also known as a myofiber. These are elongated, multinucleated cells formed by the fusion of many precursor cells during development, and they run the length of the muscle. Inside each fiber, many myofibrils contain the repeating sarcomeres that generate contraction. This is different from cardiac muscle cells (cardiomyocytes), which are shorter, branched cells in the heart, and from smooth muscle cells, which are spindle-shaped and non-striated found in walls of hollow organs. Neurons are nerve cells, not muscle cells.