Final answer:
A skeletal muscle fiber is multinucleated, not single-nucleated, due to the fusion of many myoblasts during development, each contributing a nucleus to the mature muscle fiber.
Step-by-step explanation:
False, a skeletal muscle fiber (cell) does not contain a single nucleus; rather, it contains many nuclei and is thus referred to as multinucleated. Unlike cardiac muscle cells and smooth muscle cells, which typically have a single nucleus, skeletal muscle cells boast a multitude of nuclei situated along their periphery. This characteristic is due to the fusion of many smaller myoblasts, each with its own nucleus, during the development of a mature muscle fiber.
As a result of this fusion, the mature skeletal muscle fiber retains multiple nuclei. These numerous nuclei are advantageous in that they provide multiple copies of genes necessary for the high demand for protein synthesis required by skeletal muscle fibers for contraction and function.
Skeletal muscle is often described as being striated and is usually attached to bone, functioning under voluntary control. The presence of multiple nuclei in skeletal muscle fibers allows for the production of large amounts of proteins and enzymes, which are crucial for muscle contraction and the generation of force.