Equatorial X-ray Diffraction Studies of Single Skinned Muscle Fibres

In intact muscle cells, the myofilaments, i.e. the thick and the thin filaments, are enclosed by the surface membrane, or sarcolemma. The myofilaments are therefore isolated from the solution bathing the fibres, and the internal environment of the myofilaments is not readily subject to manipulation. However, the sarcolemma can be removed mechanically or made permeable to relatively large molecules by chemical means. The internal elements of the muscle cells are left essentially intact and are directly exposed to experimental solutions. Such ‘skinning’ techniques have greatly facilitated studies on the contractile process in muscle.