THE GROSS STRUCTURE OF A MUSCLE. 73 



The Gross Structure of a Muscle. Each muscle is an 

 organ composed of several tissues. Its essential constitu- 

 ent is a number of fibres consisting of striped muscular 

 tissue. These are supported and protected by connective 

 tissue ; intertwined with blood and lymph vessels, which 

 convey nourishment and carry off waste matters ; and 

 penetrated by nerves which govern their activity. 



A loose sheath of connective tissue, the perimysium, 

 envelopes the whole muscle in a sort of case ; from it 

 partitions run in and sub- 

 divide the belly of the mus- 

 cle into bundles or fasciculi 

 which run from tendon to 

 tendon, or the whole length 

 of the muscle when it has 

 no tendons. The coarse- 

 ness or fineness of meat de- 



rfmrl rm flip i7n nf flif><3P FI G - 32. A small bit of muscle com- 



penas on tne size . tnese poged of four primary fasci c u ii. A , nat - 



-Pnom'onli wViioli TV> mr V>n ural size ; 2?, the same magnified, showing 

 laSClCUll, WniCll may be the secondary fasciculi ofwhich the pri- 



readily seen in a piece of mary are comp 8e<3 

 boiled beef. In good carving, meat is cut across the 

 fasciculi, or "across the grain," as it is then more easily 

 broken up by the teeth ; the polygonal areas seen on 

 the surface of a slice of beef are cross sections of the 

 fasciculi. The larger fasciculi are subdivided by fine 

 partitions of connective tissue into smaller (Fig. 32), each 

 consisting of a few muscular fibres enveloped in a close 



Is a muscle an organ or a tissue? What is the chief tissue in it 

 called? What things exist in it besides striped muscular tissue? What 

 is the use of each? 



What is the perimysium? How is a muscle divided into fasciculi? 

 How far do the fasciculi extend? When is meat coarse in texture? 

 Why is beef carved across the grain? Of what are the fasciculi com- 

 posed? 



