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Cardiac muscles are one of three types of muscles in the human body and are found in the walls of the heart. They are made up of specialised cells called cardiomyocytes, which are long and cylindrical and contract at regular intervals to keep blood flowing through the heart. Cardiac muscle cells are connected by intercalated discs, which allow the muscle cells to contract together in a synchronised fashion. This is essential for the heart to work as a pump. Cardiac muscle cells also contain T-tubules, which are pouches of cell membrane that help improve the efficiency of contraction.
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What You'll Learn
Cardiac muscle cells
Cardiomyocytes are surrounded by an extracellular matrix produced by supporting fibroblast cells. They also contain specialised conductive cells called Purkinje fibres, which help transmit electrical impulses to and from the heart muscle cells. Cardiac muscle cells have their own pacemaker cells, which set the rhythm of heart contractions and are responsible for generating and sending out electrical impulses. These pacemaker cells are self-excitable and can generate action potentials spontaneously.
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Cardiomyocytes
Cardiac muscles are found in the walls of the heart and are made up of specialised cells called cardiomyocytes. These cells are long and cylindrical, and they contract at regular intervals to keep blood flowing through the heart.
The pacemaker cells are connected to other cardiac muscle cells, allowing them to pass along signals and creating a wave of contractions that form the heartbeat. Cardiomyocytes are connected by intercalated discs, a complex cell junction unique to cardiac cells. These discs form strong physical, chemical, and electrical connections between adjacent cells. They are similar to the Z-disks that connect the actin filaments within a myocyte, transferring contractile forces across the disc. This force allows the cells to pull together and effectively unite them into a single continuous contractile element.
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Contraction and pumping
The cardiac muscle is one of three types of muscles in the human body and is found in the walls of the heart. It is made up of specialised cells called cardiomyocytes, which are contractile myofibrils that contract at regular intervals to keep blood flowing through the heart.
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.
Cardiac muscle cells are surrounded by an extracellular matrix produced by supporting fibroblast cells. The cardiac muscle cells are connected to one another at their ends by intercalated discs, which are part of the sarcolemma and contain two structures important in cardiac muscle contraction: gap junctions and desmosomes. A gap junction forms channels between adjacent cardiac muscle fibres that allow the depolarising current produced by cations to flow from one cardiac muscle cell to the next. This allows the myofibrils to contract together in a fluid, synchronised fashion to enable the heart to work as a pump.
The contractions of the heart (heartbeats) are controlled by specialised cardiac muscle cells called pacemaker cells that directly control heart rate. The pacemaker cells are connected to other cardiac muscle cells, allowing them to pass along signals, which results in a wave of contractions of the cardiac muscle, creating the heartbeat.
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Cardiac muscle diseases
Cardiac muscles are one of three types of muscles in the human body and are found in the walls of the heart. They are composed of specialized cells called cardiomyocytes, which are long and cylindrical in shape. These cells contract at regular intervals to pump blood through the heart and into the rest of the body. This contraction is made possible by the presence of calcium ions and the electrical signals generated by the membrane surrounding the cardiomyocytes.
Ischemic heart disease is another cardiac muscle-related health issue and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It includes syndromes such as angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. While treatments for cardiac muscle diseases may not fully resolve the underlying issue, they can help manage symptoms, prevent progression, and reduce the risk of sudden death.
Ongoing research is exploring the use of stem cells to repair or restore lost cardiac tissue. The heart does contain stem cells, but their population is not sufficient to replenish large areas of tissue loss. Experimental techniques are being investigated to stimulate stem cell growth in situ or to grow stem cells ex vivo for injection into damaged hearts. These early-stage trials show promise for the future treatment of cardiac muscle diseases.
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Cardiac muscle vs skeletal muscle
There are three types of muscle tissue in the human body: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal. This text will focus on the differences between cardiac and skeletal muscles.
Cardiac muscle is found in the walls of the heart and is responsible for pumping blood through the heart and into the rest of the body. It is made up of specialized cells called cardiomyocytes, which are rectangular, branching cells with a centrally located nucleus. These cells contain many mitochondria to produce large amounts of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and myoglobin to store oxygen, meeting the demands of muscle contraction. Cardiac muscle cells are connected through intercalated discs, which allow them to contract together in a synchronized fashion to enable the heart to work as a pump.
Cardiac muscle is self-stimulating and performs involuntary muscular movements. It has a complex structure, with a branching pattern that allows it to relax and fill with blood. It also has a slower speed of contraction and intermediate energy requirements compared to skeletal muscle.
On the other hand, skeletal muscle is attached to bones and is responsible for voluntary movements. It has a simpler structure, with long and thin fibres ranging from 10 to 100 micrometres wide. Skeletal muscle fibres are arranged in bundles called fascicles, while cardiac muscle fibres are thicker and not arranged in bundles. Skeletal muscle cells can have multiple nuclei, whereas cardiac muscle cells typically only have one nucleus.
Both cardiac and skeletal muscle are composed of individual muscle fibres containing thick and thin contractile filaments, giving them a striated appearance. However, cardiac muscle has a more complex structure overall due to its specialized function of maintaining the heart's continuous pumping action.
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Frequently asked questions
Cardiac muscles are one of three types of muscles in the human body and are found in the walls of the heart. They are made up of specialised cells called cardiomyocytes, which are responsible for the heart's contractions and pumping action.
Cardiac muscles have a more complex structure than skeletal muscles. They can contract and relax, unlike skeletal muscles which only contract. Cardiac muscles also have a branching pattern, allowing them to relax and fill with blood, while skeletal muscles do not. Additionally, cardiac muscles have a unique structure, with their own auto-rhythmicity, allowing them to contract independently without requiring neural input.
Cardiac muscles are composed of individual muscle fibres, containing thick and thin contractile filaments, which give them a striated appearance. They have intercalated discs, which are small connections that join cardiomyocytes together. These discs contain gap junctions, allowing the cardiac muscle cells to contract in a synchronised manner. Cardiac muscles also contain Purkinje fibres, which transmit electrical impulses to and from the heart muscle cells, contributing to the proper functioning of the heart.
