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Cardiac muscle, also known as heart muscle or myocardium, is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that makes up the majority of the heart's tissue. The heart consists of three layers: the pericardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The cardiac muscle is responsible for the contractility of the heart, which is the basis for its pumping action. The rhythmic contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart's pacemaker.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | One of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle |
| Location | Found only in the heart |
| Contraction | Exhibits rhythmic contractions |
| Control | Not under voluntary control |
| Regulation | Regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart's pacemaker |
| Composition | Composed of individual cardiac muscle cells joined by intercalated discs, and encased by collagen fibres and other substances that form the extracellular matrix |
| Shape | Roughly rectangular, measuring 100-150μm by 30-40μm |
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What You'll Learn
- Cardiac muscle is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle
- Cardiac muscle is involuntary and striated, and constitutes the main tissue of the wall of the heart
- The heart consists mostly of cardiac muscle cells (or myocardium)
- The rhythmic contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart's pacemaker
- The cardiac muscle must contract with enough force and enough blood to supply the metabolic demands of the entire body
Cardiac muscle is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle
Cardiac muscle, also known as heart muscle or myocardium, is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that makes up the main tissue of the heart wall. The cardiac muscle forms a thick middle layer between the outer layer of the heart wall (the pericardium) and the inner layer (the endocardium).
The cardiac muscle is composed of individual cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, joined by intercalated discs. These cells are roughly rectangular when viewed through a microscope, measuring 100-150μm by 30-40μm. The sheets of muscle wrap around the left ventricle closest to the endocardium, with the sheets oriented perpendicularly to those closest to the epicardium. When these sheets contract in a coordinated manner, they allow the ventricle to squeeze in several directions simultaneously – longitudinally, radially, and with a twisting motion. This coordinated contraction is known as a functional syncytium.
Cardiac muscle is similar to skeletal muscle in that it possesses contractile units known as sarcomeres, but it differs in that it exhibits rhythmic contractions and is not under voluntary control. The rhythmic contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart’s pacemaker. The heart consists mostly of cardiac muscle cells, and its contractility and rhythmicity are the basis for its pumping action.
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Cardiac muscle is involuntary and striated, and constitutes the main tissue of the wall of the heart
Cardiac muscle, also known as heart muscle or myocardium, is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that constitutes the main tissue of the wall of the heart.
The cardiac muscle forms a thick middle layer between the outer layer of the heart wall (the pericardium) and the inner layer (the endocardium). It is composed of individual cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, joined by intercalated discs, and encased by collagen fibres and other substances that form the extracellular matrix.
Cardiac muscle cells are the contracting cells that allow the heart to pump. Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells, working together to efficiently pump blood from the heart. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, as can occur during abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation.
Cardiac muscle is similar to skeletal muscle in that it possesses contractile units known as sarcomeres, but it differs in that it exhibits rhythmic contractions and is not under voluntary control. The rhythmic contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart's pacemaker.
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The heart consists mostly of cardiac muscle cells (or myocardium)
The heart is made up of three layers: the pericardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The heart consists mostly of cardiac muscle cells, also known as myocardium, which is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle.
Cardiac muscle is an involuntary, striated muscle that constitutes the main tissue of the wall of the heart. It forms a thick middle layer between the outer layer of the heart wall (the pericardium) and the inner layer (the endocardium). The endocardium is not cardiac muscle and is comprised of simple squamous epithelial cells and forms the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves.
Cardiac muscle is composed of individual cardiac muscle cells joined by intercalated discs, and encased by collagen fibres and other substances that form the extracellular matrix. The Purkinje fibres rapidly conduct electrical signals, while the coronary arteries bring nutrients to the muscle cells, and veins and a capillary network take away waste products.
Cardiac muscle cells are the contracting cells that allow the heart to pump. Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells, known as a functional syncytium, to efficiently pump blood from the heart. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, such as may occur during abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation.
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The rhythmic contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart's pacemaker
Cardiac muscle cells are the contracting cells that allow the heart to pump. Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells, known as a functional syncytium, to efficiently pump blood from the heart. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, such as may occur during abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation.
The heart consists mostly of cardiac muscle cells (or myocardium). The outstanding characteristics of the action of the heart are its contractility, which is the basis for its pumping action, and the rhythmicity of the contraction. The Purkinje fibres rapidly conduct electrical signals, while the coronary arteries bring nutrients to the muscle cells, and veins and a capillary network take away waste products.
The sheets of muscle that wrap around the left ventricle closest to the endocardium are oriented perpendicularly to those closest to the epicardium. When these sheets contract in a coordinated manner, they allow the ventricle to squeeze in several directions simultaneously – longitudinally (becoming shorter from apex to base), radially (becoming narrower from side to side), and with a twisting motion (similar to wringing out a damp cloth) to squeeze the maximum possible amount of blood out of the heart with each heartbeat.
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The cardiac muscle must contract with enough force and enough blood to supply the metabolic demands of the entire body
The cardiac muscle, also known as the heart muscle or myocardium, is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that constitutes the main tissue of the wall of the heart.
Contracting heart muscle uses a lot of energy, and therefore requires a constant flow of blood to provide oxygen and nutrients. The rhythmic contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by the sinoatrial node of the heart, which serves as the heart’s pacemaker. The Purkinje fibres rapidly conduct electrical signals, while the coronary arteries bring nutrients to the muscle cells, and veins and a capillary network take away waste products.
Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells, known as a functional syncytium, to efficiently pump blood from the heart. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, as may occur during abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation.
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Frequently asked questions
Cardiac muscle (also called heart muscle or myocardium) is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, the others being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that constitutes the main tissue of the wall of the heart.
Cardiac muscle cells are the contracting cells that allow the heart to pump. Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells. When these sheets contract in a coordinated manner, they allow the ventricle to squeeze in several directions simultaneously.
Cardiac muscle differs from skeletal muscle in that it exhibits rhythmic contractions and is not under voluntary control.
