Part 11/14:
Specialized Myofibers and Unique Muscle Types
Insect Flight Muscles
Insects often possess asynchronous flight muscles, which can oscillate rapidly to power wings:
These muscles contain thick, conspicuous myofibrils called fibral muscles.
Mitochondria are large and elliptical, squeezed between fibers.
They operate on a mechanism where mechanical stretch, rather than neural firing, sustains continuous oscillation, leading to high-frequency wing beats.
Nematode and Other Worm Muscles
Nematodes demonstrate inclined striated muscles arranged helically, differing from vertebrate structures in their organization and function, optimized for movement within their environments.