
Muscle cells, also known as myocytes, are cells that make up muscle tissue. Unlike other cells, they cannot divide to produce new cells. Instead, they grow in size and accumulate proteins to repair themselves, a phenomenon known as hypertrophy. However, the capacity to generate new skeletal muscle fibres is not completely lost in adult life. Satellite cells, or the stem cells of adult skeletal muscle, can be activated to proliferate and repair damaged muscle.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle cells can divide | No |
| How muscle cells repair themselves | Grow in size and accumulate proteins |
| What are satellite cells | Stem cells of adult skeletal muscle |
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What You'll Learn
- Muscle cells cannot divide to produce new cells
- Muscle cells can grow in size and accumulate proteins to repair themselves
- Satellite cells are the stem cells of adult skeletal muscle
- Skeletal muscle fibres have a curious mode of development
- Skeletal muscle cells are more widely distributed than cardiac muscle cells

Muscle cells cannot divide to produce new cells
Muscle cells, also known as myocytes, are cells that make up muscle tissue. They develop from myoblasts and form muscles through the process of myogenesis. However, muscle cells cannot divide to produce new cells. This means that when muscle cells are damaged, they cannot regenerate new cells to repair the damage, unlike most other cells. Instead, they grow in size and accumulate proteins, a phenomenon known as hypertrophy, to repair themselves.
Satellite cells, which are the stem cells of adult skeletal muscle, are normally held in reserve in a quiescent state. When muscle is damaged, these satellite cells are activated to proliferate, and their progeny can fuse to repair the damaged muscle.
Although humans do not normally generate new skeletal muscle fibres in adulthood, the capacity to do so is not completely lost. Cells capable of serving as myoblasts are retained as small, flattened, and inactive cells lying in close contact with the mature muscle cell and contained within its sheath of basal lamina.
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Muscle cells can grow in size and accumulate proteins to repair themselves
Muscle cells, also known as myocytes, are cells that make up muscle tissue. They develop from myoblasts and form muscles through the process of myogenesis. There are three main types of muscle cells: smooth muscle cells, skeletal muscle cells, and cardiac muscle cells. Unlike other cells, muscle cells cannot divide to produce new cells. Instead, they grow in size and accumulate proteins to repair themselves, a phenomenon known as hypertrophy. This process is particularly important when muscle cells get damaged, as they cannot regenerate new cells to combat the damage. Exercise can stimulate muscle growth, while a lack of use can cause muscles to shrink.
Satellite cells, or adult skeletal muscle stem cells, play a crucial role in muscle repair. These cells remain in a quiescent state until they are activated by muscle damage. Once activated, they proliferate and fuse to repair the damaged muscle.
While humans typically do not generate new skeletal muscle fibres in adulthood, the capacity to do so is not entirely lost. Small, inactive cells called myoblasts remain in close contact with mature muscle cells and can potentially serve as a source of muscle regeneration.
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Satellite cells are the stem cells of adult skeletal muscle
Muscle cells cannot divide to produce new cells. Instead, they grow in size and accumulate proteins when exercised, and shrink when not in use.
Muscle cells, or myocytes, develop from myoblasts and form muscles by the process of myogenesis. There are three main types of muscle cells: smooth muscle cells, skeletal muscle cells, and cardiac muscle cells. Skeletal muscle cells are widely distributed in the body and help with movement.
Skeletal muscle fibres have a curious mode of development and an unusual strategy for repair. They can modulate their differentiated character, and while humans do not normally generate new skeletal muscle fibres in adult life, the capacity for doing so is not completely lost. Small, flattened, and inactive cells are retained, lying in close contact with the mature muscle cell and contained within its sheath of basal lamina.
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Skeletal muscle fibres have a curious mode of development
Skeletal muscle cells are widely distributed throughout the body and help with movement. They are one of three types of muscle cells, the others being smooth muscle cells and cardiac muscle cells. Cardiac muscle cells make up the chambers of the heart and have a single nucleus.
Although humans do not normally generate new skeletal muscle fibres in adulthood, the capacity to do so is not completely lost. Cells capable of serving as myoblasts are retained as small, flattened, inactive cells lying in close contact with the mature muscle cell.
If muscle is damaged, satellite cells are activated to proliferate, and their progeny can fuse to repair the damaged muscle. Satellite cells are the stem cells of adult skeletal muscle, normally held in reserve in a quiescent state but available when needed as a self-renewing source of terminally differentiated cells.
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Skeletal muscle cells are more widely distributed than cardiac muscle cells
Muscle cells, also known as myocytes, develop from myoblasts and form muscles through the process of myogenesis. However, they cannot divide to produce new cells. When muscle cells are damaged, they cannot regenerate new cells to repair the damage like most other cells. Instead, they grow in size and accumulate proteins, a phenomenon known as hypertrophy.
In the case of skeletal muscle, satellite cells act as the stem cells. These satellite cells are normally held in reserve in a quiescent state but can be activated to proliferate and repair damaged muscle when needed.
While humans do not normally generate new skeletal muscle fibres in adulthood, the capacity to do so is not completely lost. Cells capable of serving as myoblasts are retained as small, flattened, and inactive cells lying in close contact with the mature muscle cell.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle cells do not divide to produce new cells.
Muscle cells can grow in size and accumulate proteins to repair themselves.
Satellite cells are the stem cells of adult skeletal muscle.
Satellite cells can be activated to proliferate and repair damaged muscle.
There are three main types of muscle cells: smooth muscle cells, skeletal muscle cells, and cardiac muscle cells.
























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