Arrange the connective tissue layers from outermost to innermost.

• A. Epimysium, Perimysium, Endomysium
• B. Epimysium, Endomysium, Perimysium
• C. Perimysium, Epimysium, Endomysium
• D. Endomysium, Perimysium, Epimysium

Answer: (A)

In skeletal muscle, connective tissue is organized in layers from outer to inner: the outermost sheath is the epimysium that encloses the entire muscle. Inside that, the perimysium wraps around bundles of muscle fibers called fascicles. The innermost layer, the endomysium, surrounds each individual muscle fiber within a fascicle. So the order from outermost to innermost is epimysium, then perimysium, then endomysium.

Options that place endomysium between epimysium and perimysium would imply it surrounds larger units than individual fibers, which isn’t correct. Similarly, placing perimysium outside epimysium would misstate that fascicles are external to the whole muscle. The innermost endomysium remains the final layer surrounding each fiber.