66 



THE ESSENTIALS OF HISTOLOGY 



each muscular fibre and becomes firmly united with the sarcolemma, 

 which extends over the end of the fibre (fig. 76). Further, the areolar 

 tissue between the tendon-bundles is continuous with that which lies 

 between the muscular fibres, so that the connection of a muscle to its 

 tendon is very firm. 



FIG. 76. TERMINATION OF A MUS- 

 CULAR FIBRE IN TENDON. 



m, sarcolemma ; s. the same membrane 

 passing over the end of the fibre ; p, 

 extremity of muscular substance, c, 

 retracted from the lower end of the 

 sarco!emma-tube; t, tendon-bundle 

 passing to be fixed to the sarcolemma. 



FIG. 77. CAPILLARY VESSELS OF 

 MUSCLE. 



Blood-vessels of muscle. The capillaries of the muscular tissue are 

 very numerous. They run, for the most part, longitudinally, with 

 transverse branches, so as to form long oblong meshes (fig. 77). In 

 the red muscles of the rabbit and hare, the transverse capillaries have 

 small dilatations upon them. No blood-vessels ever penetrate the 

 sarcolemma. 



Lymphatic vessels, although present in the connective-tissue sheath 

 'perimysium) of a muscle, do not penetrate between its component 

 fibres. 



The nerves of voluntary muscles pierce the sarcolemma and ter- 

 minate in a ramified expansion known as an end-plate (see Lesson 

 XIX.). 



