Which statement about skeletal muscle nuclei is correct?

Which statement about skeletal muscle nuclei is correct?

• A. Skeletal muscle fibers contain a single central nucleus.
• B. Skeletal muscle fibers do not contain nuclei.
• C. Skeletal muscle fibers can have multiple nuclei located on the side of the cell.
• D. Skeletal muscle fibers lack myofibrils.

Answer: (C)

Skeletal muscle fibers are multinucleated because they form by the fusion of many myoblasts, creating a single long cell with multiple nuclei. In mature fibers, these nuclei lie peripherally, just under the cell membrane, spread along the length of the fiber to support the high demand for protein synthesis across a large cytoplasmic volume. So, having multiple nuclei located on the side of the cell fits what actually happens in skeletal muscle. The other statements aren’t correct because mature skeletal muscle fibers do have nuclei (not none), they are not typically a single central nucleus, and they do contain myofibrils organized into sarcomeres.

Skeletal muscle fibers are multinucleated because they form by the fusion of many myoblasts, creating a single long cell with multiple nuclei. In mature fibers, these nuclei lie peripherally, just under the cell membrane, spread along the length of the fiber to support the high demand for protein synthesis across a large cytoplasmic volume.

So, having multiple nuclei located on the side of the cell fits what actually happens in skeletal muscle. The other statements aren’t correct because mature skeletal muscle fibers do have nuclei (not none), they are not typically a single central nucleus, and they do contain myofibrils organized into sarcomeres.