Generally, mature skeletal muscle cells cannot divide.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
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Skeletal Muscle Fibers and Division: Mature skeletal muscle fibers are terminally differentiated cells, meaning they have reached their final form and function and are unable to divide through mitosis.
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Formation of Muscle Fibers: Skeletal muscle fibers are formed through the fusion of smaller cells called myoblasts. This fusion process occurs primarily before birth in humans, establishing the total number of muscle fibers.
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Postnatal Muscle Growth: After birth, muscle growth occurs mainly through hypertrophy, which is the enlargement of existing muscle fibers, rather than the creation of new ones via cell division.
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Muscle Repair and Satellite Cells: While muscle fibers themselves don't divide, muscle tissue can repair itself to some extent. This repair process relies on satellite cells, which are muscle stem cells located around the muscle fibers. When muscle damage occurs, satellite cells can become activated, proliferate, and differentiate to help repair the damaged tissue. They can also fuse with existing muscle fibers, contributing to muscle growth.
Therefore, while skeletal muscle fibers cannot divide, satellite cells provide a mechanism for muscle repair and growth.
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