What Is the Function of the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in Skeletal Muscle

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) constitutes the main intracellular calcium store in striated muscle and plays an important role in the regulation of excitation-contraction-coupling (ECC) and of intracellular calcium concentrations during contraction and relaxation.

What is the function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle tissue?

By regulating the concentration of calcium in the sarcoplasm (the cytoplasm of striated muscle cells), the sarcoplasmic reticulum plays an important role in determining whether muscle contraction occurs.

What is true for the sarcoplasmic reticulum in skeletal muscle cells?

Correct answer: The sarcoplasmic reticulum is a specialized cell structure, characteristic of skeletal muscle cells, that is used to store calcium ions. Upon neural stimulation, depolarization of the T-tubules causes a cellular reaction to open ion channels in the membrane of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.