Epimysium (

plural The plural (sometimes list of glossing abbreviations, abbreviated pl., pl, or ), in many languages, is one of the values of the grammatical number, grammatical category of number. The plural of a noun typically denotes a quantity greater than the ...

''epimysia'') (Greek ''epi-'' for on, upon, or above + Greek ''mys'' for muscle) is the fibrous tissue envelope that surrounds

skeletal muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of m ...

. It is a layer of dense irregular connective tissue which ensheaths the entire

muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of mus ...

and protects muscles from friction against other muscles and bones. It is continuous with

fascia A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs ...

and other connective tissue wrappings of muscle including the

endomysium The endomysium, meaning ''within the muscle'', is a wispy layer of areolar connective tissue that ensheaths each individual muscle fiber, or muscle cell. It also contains capillaries and nerves. It overlies the muscle fiber's cell membrane: th ...

and perimysium. It is also continuous with tendons, where it becomes thicker and collagenous. While the epimysium is irregular on muscles, it is regular on tendons.

References

Soft tissue Muscular system {{muscle-stub

See also

References