15 Questions
Which term describes the mass of cardiac muscle cells connected to each other via gap junctions?
Myocardium
What allows action potentials at any cell in a myocardium to stimulate all the cells in the myocardium?
Gap Junctions
Which term refers to the ability of cardiac muscle to produce action potentials automatically without innervation?
Automaticity
What initiates the pacemaker potential in cardiac muscle?
Pacemaker Cells
How are voltage-gated calcium channels in cardiac muscle different from those in skeletal muscle?
Not directly connected to calcium channels in the SR
What term refers to the prevention of wave summation and tetanic contractions by cell membranes in cardiac tissue?
Cell Membrane Inhibition
Which characteristic of cardiac tissue allows for contraction without neural stimulation and is controlled by pacemaker cells?
Automaticity
What aspect of the cardiac muscle allows for variable contraction tension and is controlled by the nervous system?
Pacemaker Potential
What is the main function of intercalated discs in cardiocytes?
Enhance molecular and electrical connections
How do cardiac and smooth muscles behave?
Regulated by autonomic nervous system
What is the structural difference between cardiac and skeletal muscle fibers?
Cardiac muscles have triads
How do cardiac muscle cells generate contractions?
Through myosin/actin crossbridges stimulated by calcium
What type of junctions permit impulses to be conducted cell to cell in cardiac muscle fibers?
Gap junctions
What is the primary energy metabolism in cardiac muscle cells?
Oxidative metabolism
What makes the myocardium different from skeletal muscle?
Connection through gap junctions
Test your knowledge of the unique characteristics of cardiac muscle cells, including their size, nucleus count, T-tubule structure, and metabolic dependency. Explore the special features such as intercalated discs and the absence of triads and terminal cisternae in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
