Cardiac Muscle

• The heart is composed of cardiac muscle cells which have specialised features that relates to their function: myogenic contraction, branched cells, connected by intercalated discs, more mitochondria
• Cardiac muscle cells contract without stimulation by the central nervous system (contraction is myogenic)
• Cardiac muscle cells are branched, allowing for faster signal propagation and contraction in three dimensions
• Cardiac muscles cells are not fused together, but are connected by gap junctions at intercalated discs
• Cardiac muscle cells have more mitochondria, as they are more reliant on aerobic respiration than skeletal muscle
• Unique functional properties of cardiac tissue: longer period of contraction and refraction, no fatigue, cells are capable of contracting separately