In a mature skeletal muscle fiber, where are the nuclei located?

In a mature skeletal muscle fiber, where are the nuclei located?

• A. Central
• B. Within mitochondria
• C. Peripheral
• D. In the sarcolemma

Answer: (C)

In a mature skeletal muscle fiber, nuclei sit at the periphery, just beneath the sarcolemma. This multinucleated cell results from fusion during development, and as the center fills with densely packed contractile myofibrils, the nuclei are pushed to the edge. This peripheral position keeps the center available for the extensive cytoplasmic machinery needed for contraction, while the nuclei stay in the cytoplasm near the membrane to regulate protein synthesis for the large fiber. Nuclei are not inside mitochondria, and they are not located in the membrane itself.

In a mature skeletal muscle fiber, nuclei sit at the periphery, just beneath the sarcolemma. This multinucleated cell results from fusion during development, and as the center fills with densely packed contractile myofibrils, the nuclei are pushed to the edge. This peripheral position keeps the center available for the extensive cytoplasmic machinery needed for contraction, while the nuclei stay in the cytoplasm near the membrane to regulate protein synthesis for the large fiber. Nuclei are not inside mitochondria, and they are not located in the membrane itself.