Cardiac Muscle Tissue Features

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To stimulate contraction in cardiac muscle cells
To allow ions and small molecules to move between cells
To lock the cells together and prevent them from separating during contractions (correct)
To anchor actin filaments to the plasma membrane

Contraction without nervous system stimulation (C) Signup and view all the answers

A jagged appearance to the cell membrane (C) Signup and view all the answers

To anchor actin filaments to the plasma membrane (A) Signup and view all the answers

Specialized cell junctions connecting cardiac muscle cells, facilitating rapid electrical signal transmission.

These junctions directly connect cardiac muscle cells, allowing rapid transmission of electrical signals.

Cell junctions that mechanically connect cardiac cells to resist stress during heart contractions.

Cardiac muscle contracts automatically, without external nerve stimulation.

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They give cardiac muscle cells a unique, 'jagged' appearance.

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These structures connect actin filaments to the cardiac muscle cell membrane, vital for contraction.

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Cardiac muscle has a larger number of blood vessels compared to red skeletal muscle tissue.
Cardiac muscle cells can contract without nervous system stimulation.

Intercalated discs are specialized cell junctions that connect cardiac muscle cells to neighboring cells.
They are unique to cardiac muscle tissue and have a jagged appearance due to the arrangement of cell-to-cell junctions and interlocking plasma membranes.
Features of intercalated discs include:
- Desmosomes that bind plasma membranes together, preventing cell separation during contractions.
- Fascia adherens, a specialized junction that anchors actin filaments firmly to the plasma membrane.
- Gap junctions (communicating junctions) that allow ions and small molecules to move between cells, creating a direct electrical connection between muscle cells.
The electrical connection between cardiac muscle cells enables the stimulus for contraction (action potential) to move from one cell to another as if the sarcolemmae were continuous.