myomere
Quick Summary
A myomere is a muscle segment found in vertebrates, particularly in jawed fishes. These segments are part of the axial musculature, which runs along the trunk and tail. In jawless fishes like lampreys and hagfish, myomeres form a single segmented mass on each side of the body.123
In jawed fishes, the myomeres are folded in a complex, zigzag pattern, which allows for more powerful swimming movements. The contraction of these myomeres creates undulations that propel the fish forward. Ribs in fishes typically develop in the horizontal septum that separates the dorsal (epaxial) and ventral (hypaxial) muscle blocks and usually lie within the myocommata, the connective tissue separating each myomere. The myotome, a part of the somite, is the primitive muscle from which major vertebrate muscles develop.245
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muscleJawless fishesThese muscle segments, known as myomeres, consist of relatively short fibres that insert into septa of connective tissue, the myocommata, between the adjacent myomeres. There is only a rudimentary axial skeleton and no appendicular skeleton, so there are no limb muscles. The eyes of cyclostomes are degenerate structures, and the…
Read MoreThese muscle segments, known as myomeres, consist of relatively short fibres that insert into septa of connective tissue, the myocommata, between the adjacent myomeres. There is only a rudimentary axial skeleton and no appendicular skeleton, so there are no limb muscles. The eyes of cyclostomes are degenerate structures, and the…
Read More- muscleJawed fishes
…the folds of several anterior myomeres and to overlap those of several more posterior myomeres. The folding and overlapping of myomeres has the effect that contraction of a single myomere produces curvature over a considerable part of the body of the fish. The fishes that swim faster thus tend to…
Read More…the folds of several anterior myomeres and to overlap those of several more posterior myomeres. The folding and overlapping of myomeres has the effect that contraction of a single myomere produces curvature over a considerable part of the body of the fish. The fishes that swim faster thus tend to…
Read More