Ultrastructure and elemental composition of the stapedius muscle in guinea pig

Muscules stapedius in guinea pig was investigated with regard to morphology and elemental composition. The muscle fibers are multinucleated, contain a high amount of ribosomes, and a centriole is often found adjacent to the cell nucleus. Intramitochondrial inclusion bodies occur adjacent to cristae mitochondriales. Both type I and type II fibres occur, the latter with all three subtypes. Elemental analysis from the myofibrillar area revealed unexpected low concentration of K and high concentrations of NA, P, and Ca.