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Is there a viable and practical alternative word for the verb "feature"?

Feature

[intransitive, transitive]

1 to include or show something as a special or important part of something, or to be included as an important part

2 Show a play, film, etc.

When I used this word in several conferences over the last few months, according to the audience's reaction and comments, I noticed that they did not understand what specifically I meant.

I flatly rejected the verb show, because it does not carry the above meaning.

& This is the context:

"Striated muscle tissue is a muscle tissue that features repeating functional units called sarcomeres, in contrast with smooth muscle tissue which does not."

Source: "Muscle Physiology - Introduction to Muscle". muscle.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-24.

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An alternative to exhibits, which is good, is the simpler has|have.

You can see that many scientific papers are content to use that simpler verb, if you do this google search: "have sarcomeres" site:*.gov

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    I like this answer. My googling found a lot of plagiarism with the word feature being used in the same replicated sentence. Some speakers / writers don't like using simple words like "show" and "have". The verbs demonstrates and charaterises could also be used.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Aug 11, 2018 at 20:21
  • (In spite of the fact that this answer is perhaps self-explanatory) This is the most attractive answer, I mean "what a terrific idea!"
    – a.RR
    Commented Aug 11, 2018 at 21:03
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Isn't striated muscle tissue a fault and not a feature?

Sometimes computer engineers try to pass off a bug by saying it is a feature but the use here isn't appropriate. If you cannot feel able to use:

Striated muscle tissue is a muscle tissue that shows repeating functional units called sarcomeres, in contrast with smooth muscle tissue which does not.

then I suggest exhibits from the Oxford dictionary with its example use

2.1 Show as a sign or symptom. ‘patients with alcoholic liver disease exhibit many biochemical abnormalities’

So your statement would be (removing the duplicated phrase):

Striated muscle tissue exhibits repeating functional units called sarcomeres, in contrast with smooth muscle tissue which does not.

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