Final answer:
A muscle belly is encased by the epimysium, a dense connective tissue that facilitates powerful contractions and maintains the muscle's structural integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
A muscle belly is encased by a structure known as the epimysium. The epimysium is a sheath of dense, irregular connective tissue that wraps around the entire skeletal muscle.
This connective tissue is critical because it allows a muscle to contract and move powerfully while maintaining its structural integrity.
Furthermore, the epimysium keeps the muscle separate from other tissues and organs in the area, which permits independent movement.
Within a skeletal muscle, the muscle fibers are further compartmentalized by the endomysium and perimysium, with the endomysium surrounding each individual muscle fiber and the perimysium enveloping groups of muscle fibers into bundles known as fascicles.