This plastic section from the heart shows cardiac muscle fibers (cells) in cross section. Note the irregular shape of the cells, typical of cardiac muscle cells, and the presence of a circular cell nucleus or a light staining region in the center of most of the cells. The extracellular space aroundeach cell is occupied by extracellular matrix material, including collagen fibers. Capillaries can be seen coursing through the muscle tissue and endothelial cels and fibroblast nuclei can be seen between the muscle cells.
Stain = Iron Hematoxylin
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| Copyright by: Paul B. Bell, Jr. & Barbara Safiejko-Mroczka |
The University of Oklahoma