Cardiac Muscle Tissue

Definition

Cardiac muscle tissue is a specialized form of striated muscle found only in the heart, responsible for pumping blood throughout the body. It has unique properties like automaticity and rhythmicity, allowing it to contract without neural stimulation.

Related terms

Striated Muscle: A type of muscle tissue that features repeating functional units called sarcomeres, giving it a striped appearance under a microscope.

Automaticity: The ability of cardiac cells to initiate their own electrical impulse without being stimulated by an external nerve (neural) source.

Rhythmicity: The inherent property of cardiac muscle tissue that enables it to contract at a regular interval, maintaining a consistent heart rate