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Cardiac muscle tissue is only found in the heart. It is highly coordinated, with each cardiomyocyte needing to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells to efficiently pump blood from the heart. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, such as during abnormal heart rhythms like ventricular fibrillation. The individual cardiac muscle cell is a tubular structure composed of chains of myofibrils, which are rod-like units within the cell. The myofibrils consist of repeating sections of sarcomeres, which are the fundamental contractile units of the muscle cells.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Coordination | Cardiac muscle cells contract in coordination with their neighbouring cells to pump blood from the heart |
| Structure | Cardiac muscle has distinct features that allow it to contract in a coordinated fashion and resist fatigue |
| Individual cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) | Tubular structure composed of chains of myofibrils |
| Myofibrils | Rod-like units within the cell composed of repeating sections of sarcomeres |
| Sarcomeres | The fundamental contractile units of the muscle cells composed of long proteins that organize into thick and thin filaments, called myofilaments |
| Myofilaments | Thin myofilaments contain the protein actin, and thick myofilaments contain the protein myosin |
| Sheets of muscle | Sheets of muscle that wrap around the left ventricle closest to the endocardium are oriented perpendicularly to those closest to the epicardium |
| Sheets of muscle contraction | 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 |
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What You'll Learn
- Cardiac muscle cells are joined at their ends by intercalated discs to form long fibres
- Cardiac muscle cells are tubular structures composed of chains of myofibrils
- Cardiac muscle cells are contracting cells that allow the heart to pump
- Cardiac muscle cells are highly coordinated to keep the heart pumping and blood circulating throughout the body
- Cardiac muscle cells are involuntary, meaning they are automatic and a person cannot control them
Cardiac muscle cells are joined at their ends by intercalated discs to form long fibres
The cardiac muscle cells are roughly rectangular in shape when viewed under a microscope. They measure 100-150μm by 30-40μm. The intercalated discs allow the cardiac muscle to contract in a coordinated fashion and resist fatigue. This is achieved through the structure of the cardiac muscle, which has distinct features.
The individual cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) is a tubular structure composed of chains of myofibrils. These are rod-like units within the cell. The myofibrils consist of repeating sections of sarcomeres, which are the fundamental contractile units of the muscle cells. Sarcomeres are composed of long proteins that organise into thick and thin filaments, called myofilaments. Thin myofilaments contain the protein actin, and thick myofilaments contain the protein myosin.
The cardiac muscle is highly organised and contains many types of cells, including fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and cardiomyocytes. Cardiac muscle only develops in the heart and contains cardiac muscle cells, which perform highly coordinated actions that keep the heart pumping and blood circulating throughout the body.
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Cardiac muscle cells are tubular structures composed of chains of myofibrils
Cardiac muscle tissue is only found in the heart. It contains cardiac muscle cells, which perform highly coordinated actions that keep the heart pumping and blood circulating throughout the body. Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, despite individual cells contracting.
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Cardiac muscle cells are contracting cells that allow the heart to pump
Cardiac muscle tissue is only found in the heart. The highly coordinated contractions of cardiac muscle pump blood into the vessels of the circulatory system. Cardiac muscle is striated and organised into sarcomeres, possessing the same banding organisation as skeletal muscle. However, cardiac muscle fibres are shorter than skeletal muscle fibres and usually contain only one nucleus, which is located in the central region of the cell. Cardiac muscle fibres also possess many mitochondria and myoglobin, as ATP is produced primarily through aerobic metabolism. Cardiac muscle fibres are also extensively branched and are connected to one another at their ends by intercalated discs.
The individual cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) is a tubular structure composed of chains of myofibrils, which are rod-like units within the cell. The myofibrils consist of repeating sections of sarcomeres, which are the fundamental contractile units of the muscle cells. Sarcomeres are composed of long proteins that organise into thick and thin filaments, called myofilaments. Thin myofilaments contain the protein actin, and thick myofilaments contain the protein myosin.
Within the myocardium, there are several sheets of cardiac muscle cells or cardiomyocytes. 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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Cardiac muscle cells are highly coordinated to keep the heart pumping and blood circulating throughout the body
Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells to work efficiently and pump blood from the heart. If this coordination breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, such as during abnormal heart rhythms like ventricular fibrillation.
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.
Cardiac muscle fibres are shorter than skeletal muscle fibres and usually contain only one nucleus, which is located in the central region of the cell. Cardiac muscle fibres also possess many mitochondria and myoglobin, as ATP is produced primarily through aerobic metabolism.
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Cardiac muscle cells are involuntary, meaning they are automatic and a person cannot control them
The individual cardiac muscle cell is a tubular structure composed of chains of myofibrils, which are rod-like units within the cell. The myofibrils consist of repeating sections of sarcomeres, which are the fundamental contractile units of the muscle cells. Sarcomeres are composed of long proteins that organise into thick and thin filaments, called myofilaments.
Within the myocardium, there are several sheets of cardiac muscle cells or cardiomyocytes. 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 movement allows the heart to squeeze the maximum possible amount of blood out of the heart with each heartbeat.
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Frequently asked questions
Cardiac muscle is a type of muscle tissue that is only found in the heart.
Cardiac muscle cells are joined at their ends by intercalated discs to form long fibres. Each cardiomyocyte needs to contract in coordination with its neighbouring cells to pump blood from the heart.
If the coordination of cardiac muscle breaks down, the heart may not pump at all, which can occur during abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular fibrillation.
Cardiac muscle has distinct features that allow it to contract in a coordinated fashion and resist fatigue. The individual cardiac muscle cell is a tubular structure composed of chains of myofibrils, which are rod-like units within the cell.
