In the walls of digestive organs, muscular coats contains smooth muscle cells arranged in layers running in different directions ( longitudinal and circumferential layers).

Longitudinal sections show muscle cells of a fusiform shape with no transverse striation. Every muscle cell contains an elongated nucleus, which is situated along the cell axis in the central, expanded part of the cell. There is also an oxyphilic cytoplasm.

Transverse sections show muscle cells of a rounded (or polygonal) shape and of various diameter (depending on the section site). The nuclei are only detected if the section was made through the central part of muscle cell.