Final answer:
Satellite cells are stem cells associated with muscle tissue, derived from the myogenic lineage, whose function is to repair damaged skeletal muscle and are located outside the sarcolemma. They play a crucial role in the body's ability to heal muscle injuries, although their capacity for muscle fiber regeneration is limited.
Step-by-step explanation:
Satellite cells are derived from the myogenic lineage during embryologic development, which gives rise to muscle cells. Their primary job is to repair skeletal muscle cells by facilitating protein synthesis necessary for muscle repair and growth. Satellite cells are located outside the sarcolemma, which is the cell membrane of muscle cells. They are stimulated to proliferate and fuse with existing muscle fibers by growth factors released under stress conditions. Although they have a limited ability to regenerate muscle fibers, they predominantly serve to repair damage in existing cells. If damage exceeds their repair capacity, fibrosis can occur, which results in the formation of non-contractile scar tissue, weakening the muscle.