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The sarcolemma is the membrane that encloses a striated muscle fiber. Introduced by English surgeon William Bowman in 1840, it is a complex, multilayered structure. The outermost layer is a network of fibrils that connect to tendons, followed by a basement membrane, and an innermost plasma membrane. This plasma membrane, similar to those in other cells, contains embedded proteins that act as enzymes, receptors, and channels, crucial for maintaining the electrical potential that stimulates muscle contraction. The sarcolemma plays a vital role in transmitting nerve impulses, which appear as action potentials on its surface, initiating the process of muscle contraction.123

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