Which combination of muscle tissue types is present in the sample?

Study for the CAMLPR Histology Practice Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question has hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Recognizing the three muscle tissue types by their distinctive histology lets you identify what’s present in a sample. Skeletal muscle appears as long, cylindrical fibers with multiple peripheral nuclei and clear striations; it’s organized in parallel bundles. Cardiac muscle consists of shorter, branched fibers that show striations as well, but are connected by intercalated discs and usually have one or two central nuclei. Smooth muscle lacks striations entirely, with spindle-shaped cells and a single central nucleus arranged in sheets.

If the sample shows all three sets of features—striated skeletal fibers, branched striated cardiac fibers with intercalated discs, and smooth muscle cells without striations—you’re looking at tissue that contains smooth, cardiac, and skeletal muscle. That’s why this option is the best choice. Smooth muscle would be found in vessel walls or hollow organs, cardiac in the heart, and skeletal in attached muscles, which can all be present in a broad regional sample.