Final answer:
The alternating dark A bands and light I bands give the muscle fiber its striated appearance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The alternating dark A bands and light I bands give the muscle fiber its striated appearance. The dark A bands are regions of overlapping thick (myosin) and thin (actin) filaments, while the light I bands are regions of thin filaments only. This alternating pattern of bands is due to the arrangement of myofilaments within the sarcomeres, which are the basic functional units of skeletal muscle fibers.