This module will explain how Dr. Lisa Larkin at the University of Michigan uses a novel tissue engineering technology to grow muscle in her laboratory.

Module 5 - The Skeletal Muscle Unit

Disclaimer* A glossary of terms can be found here.

Can you answer these?

  1. What are the three stages of cell growth the skeletal muscle units go through to reach a three-dimensional tissue? Answer Answer to 1
    Proliferation, Differentiation, Delamination
  2. What do the cells look like at each of these stages? Answer Answer to 2
    Small round single cells - satellite cells, small spindle single cells - myoblasts, fused tubes of cells - myotubes
  3. What causes the monolayers to become a 3-D column of tissue? Answer Answer to 3
    Active and passive tension of the cells acting upon each other.