Logan Steele
Cardiac muscle, also known as heart muscle or myocardium, is striated, like skeletal muscle. This means that it has a striped appearance when viewed under a microscope. The striations are caused by the arrangement of contractile units (sarcomeres) along the length of the muscle fibre. Cardiac muscle harbours contractile proteins, actin and myosin, which are aligned in a regimented fashion to yield alternating light-dark patterns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Striated |
| Contraction | Contractile proteins aligned in a regimented fashion to yield alternating light-dark patterns |
| Cell shape | Rectangular |
| Cell size | 100-150μm by 30-40μm |
| Cell junctions | Intercalated discs |
| Cell nucleus | Single (central) |
| Cell branches | Yes |
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What You'll Learn
Cardiac muscle is striated like skeletal muscle
Cardiac muscle is involuntary and 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), with blood supplied via the coronary circulation. Cardiac muscle contracts in a similar manner to skeletal muscle, although with some important differences. For example, cardiac muscle fibres branch and are interconnected via intercalated discs, facilitating a synchronised heartbeat.
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Cardiac muscle is involuntary
Cardiac muscle cells are roughly rectangular in shape and are joined at their ends by intercalated discs to form long fibres. These discs contain gap junctions, adhering junctions and desmosomes, which allow the muscle cells to be electrically coupled so that they beat in synchrony. The regular organisation of myofibrils into sarcomeres gives rise to the striated appearance of cardiac muscle, with lighter I bands composed mainly of actin and darker A bands composed mainly of myosin.
Cardiac muscle is the main tissue of the wall of the heart and forms a thick middle layer between the outer layer (the pericardium) and the inner layer (the endocardium). It contracts in a similar manner to skeletal muscle, although there are some important differences between the two types of muscle. For example, cardiac muscle cells usually have a single (central) nucleus, whereas skeletal muscle cells are multinucleated. Additionally, regeneration following damage does not significantly repair or restore lost cardiac tissue in most disease states.
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Cardiac muscle cells have a single (central) nucleus
Cardiac muscle is striated, like skeletal muscle, as the actin and myosin are arranged in sarcomeres. However, cardiac muscle is involuntary. The cells are often branched, and are tightly connected by specialised junctions. The region where the ends of the cells are connected to another cell is called an intercalated disc. The intercalated disc contains gap junctions, adhering junctions and desmosomes.
Gap junctions allow the muscle cells to be electrically coupled, so that they beat in synchrony. This is a low-power section through the wall of the heart, showing the striated appearance of the muscle, and the nuclei.
Cardiac muscle fibres branch and are interconnected via intercalated discs, facilitating a synchronised heartbeat. Cardiac muscle cells are joined at their ends by intercalated discs to form long fibres. Each cell contains myofibrils, specialised protein contractile fibres of actin and myosin that slide past each other. These are organised into sarcomeres, the fundamental contractile units of muscle cells. The regular organisation of myofibrils into sarcomeres gives cardiac muscle cells a striped or striated appearance when looked at through a microscope, similar to skeletal muscle.
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Cardiac muscle cells are often branched
The striations arise due to the arrangement of contractile units (sarcomeres) along the length of the fibre. Cardiac muscle is striated, like skeletal muscle, as the actin and myosin are arranged in sarcomeres, just as in skeletal muscle. Cardiac muscle fibres branch and are interconnected via intercalated discs, facilitating a synchronised heartbeat.
Cardiac muscle is a type of striated muscle and is characterised by a similar arrangement of actin and myosin filaments to mediate contraction. Cardiac muscle cells usually have a single (central) nucleus. The region where the ends of the cells are connected to another cell is called an intercalated disc. The intercalated disc contains gap junctions, adhering junctions and desmosomes. Gap junctions allow the muscle cells to be electrically coupled, so that they beat in synchrony.
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Cardiac muscle cells are connected by intercalated discs
Cardiac muscle is striated, like skeletal muscle, due to the arrangement of actin and myosin filaments. These filaments are arranged in sarcomeres, the fundamental contractile units of muscle cells. The regular organisation of myofibrils into sarcomeres gives cardiac muscle cells a striped or striated appearance when viewed through a microscope.
The striations of cardiac muscle are caused by lighter I bands composed mainly of actin, and darker A bands composed mainly of myosin. The contractile proteins are aligned in a regimented fashion to yield alternating light-dark patterns on light microscopic examination.
Cardiac muscle fibres branch and are interconnected via intercalated discs, facilitating a synchronised heartbeat.
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Frequently asked questions
Cardiac muscle is striated because the actin and myosin are arranged in sarcomeres, just as in skeletal muscle.
Sarcomeres are the fundamental contractile units of muscle cells.
Sarcomeres are made of myofibrils, which are specialised protein contractile fibres of actin and myosin that slide past each other.
Sarcomeres are made up of lighter I bands composed mainly of actin, and darker A bands composed mainly of myosin.
