Mouse Smooth Muscle Tissue - 40x
The digital image appearing above is a reconstruction of mouse smooth muscle tissue optical sections acquired with the ApoTome coupled to a metal halide light source. Smooth muscle is an involuntary type of muscle located in many regions of the body, primarily lining hollow organs. In the resting state, smooth muscle cells are typically spindle-shaped, but this type of muscle characteristically exhibits a larger amount of variation than other muscle varieties. Smooth muscle is also distinctive for its great elasticity, a trait particularly important for organs that undergo large amounts of stretching, such as the digestive tract and the bladder.