Question

What are myoblasts?

Answer 1

Hint: Muscle cell which is otherwise called a myocyte is derived from myoblasts. Myogenesis is a biological process in which muscle cells called myocytes are developed from myoblasts. Myogenesis occurs during embryonic development.

Complete answer:
The formation of muscle cells takes place during embryonic development. This process is called myogenesis. During the process of embryonic development, a type of embryonic progenitor cell called myoblast differentiates and gives rise to muscle cells. A biological cell that has a tendency to differentiate into a specific type of cell is called a progenitor cell. Progenitor cells are more specific than stem cells and are pushed to differentiate into its "target" cell. Muscle fibres are formed by the fusion of myoblasts which forms multinucleated fibres called myotubes. Myoblasts can either differentiate or proliferate into myotube in the early development of embryos. Most myoblasts will proliferate if placed in cell culture and enough fibroblast growth factor (FGF) or any other growth factor is present in the medium of cell culture surrounding the cells. The myoblasts cease division when the growth factor runs out and undergo terminal differentiation into myotubes. Myoblast differentiation takes place in stages. The first stage involves the exit from the cell cycle and the beginning of the expression of certain genes. Alignment of the myoblasts with one another is seen in the second stage of differentiation. The third stage of differentiation involves the actual cell fusion itself.

Note: Myoblast is a type of progenitor cell. Although progenitor cells have a tendency to differentiate like the stem cells but there’s a difference between the stem cells and the progenitor cells. Stem cells can duplicate or replicate indefinitely but progenitor cells have limitations and can divide only a limited number of times.