sarcolemma

Examples of sarcolemma in the following topics:

• Excitation–Contraction Coupling

  • It is the link (transduction) between the action potential generated in the sarcolemma and the start of a muscle contraction .
  • The area of the sarcolemma on the muscle fiber that interacts with the neuron is called the motor-end plate.
  • The motor end plate possesses junctional folds: folds in the sarcolemma that create a large surface area for the neurotransmitter to bind to receptors.
  • The depolarization then spreads along the sarcolemma and down the T tubules, creating an action potential.

• Skeletal Muscle Fibers

  • The sarcolemma of myocytes contains numerous invaginations (pits) called transverse tubules which are usually perpendicular to the length of the myocyte.
  • Myofibrils run parallel to the myocyte and typically run for its entire length, attaching to the sarcolemma at either end.
  • A skeletal muscle cell is surrounded by a plasma membrane called the sarcolemma with a cytoplasm called the sarcoplasm.