[The ultrastructure and function of human skeletomuscular tissue]

The electron microscopic study of the intact somatic muscle of man has established that skeletal muscular fibres have a well developed lysosome apparatus. This apparatus is localized near nuclei under the sarcolemma and is represented by 3 types of lysosomes: primary lysosomes, secondary lysosomes (phage lysosomes, digestive vacuoles) and residual bodies. These three morphological types of lysosomes reflect different stages of the functional activity of these organelles. The role of the lysosome apparatus in the process of intracellular digestion and self-renewal is shown. The presence of a peculiar "digestive center" of the muscle fibre has been established which is located in the perinuclear zone.