Cross section of pig thigh muscle

Close-up of a piece of pork meat, showing groups of muscle fibres (red) surrounded by a sheath of connective tissue known as the perimysium. These connective tissue membranes are continuous with the tendons that connect the muscle to the bones. The bones in turn have a connective tissue covering - the periosteum - that is also continuous with the tendons. This continuity gives the strong connection between the muscles and the bones. A small blood vessel can also be seen here.Colour-enhanced scanning electron micrograph of a cross sectional Biomedical Image Awards 2006.