Final answer:
The individual muscle cell is surrounded by the endomysium, making A) endomysium the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual muscle cell, also known as a muscle fiber, is surrounded by a thin connective tissue layer called the endomysium. The endomysium consists of collagen and reticular fibers and plays a crucial role in providing the extracellular fluid and nutrients to support the muscle fiber.
Therefore, the correct answer to which of the following surrounds the individual muscle cell is A) endomysium. Within the muscle, these fibers are organized into bundles called fascicles, which are encased by the perimysium.
The entire muscle is then wrapped in the epimysium, and all these connective tissues come together to form tendons that attach muscles to bones.
The endomysium, meaning within the muscle, is a wispy layer of areolar connective tissue that ensheaths each individual muscle fiber, or muscle cell.
It also contains capillaries and nerves. It overlies the muscle fiber's cell membrane: the sarcolemma. Endomysium is the deepest and smallest component of muscle connective tissue. This thin layer helps provide an appropriate chemical environment for the exchange of calcium, sodium, and potassium, which is essential for the excitation and subsequent contraction of a muscle fiber.