Which statement correctly identifies the location of nuclei in mature skeletal muscle?

Which statement correctly identifies the location of nuclei in mature skeletal muscle?

• A. Nuclei are located just beneath the sarcolemma
• B. Nuclei are located in the center of the fiber
• C. There are no nuclei
• D. Nuclei are scattered randomly throughout sarcoplasm

Answer: (A)

In mature skeletal muscle, nuclei sit at the periphery of the fiber, just beneath the sarcolemma. This peripheral location comes from the fusion of many myoblasts during development, creating a multinucleated cell where nuclei line the edge rather than the center. Central nuclei appear in developing or regenerating fibers, and having nuclei scattered throughout the sarcoplasm isn’t typical of healthy mature muscle. So the statement that nuclei are located just beneath the sarcolemma correctly describes mature skeletal muscle.

In mature skeletal muscle, nuclei sit at the periphery of the fiber, just beneath the sarcolemma. This peripheral location comes from the fusion of many myoblasts during development, creating a multinucleated cell where nuclei line the edge rather than the center. Central nuclei appear in developing or regenerating fibers, and having nuclei scattered throughout the sarcoplasm isn’t typical of healthy mature muscle. So the statement that nuclei are located just beneath the sarcolemma correctly describes mature skeletal muscle.