Having stripes or lines that run parallel to the long axis of the muscle
Intercalated discs

A complex of mechanical electrical junctions that joins two cardiac muscle cells
Cardiac muscle
- Regulates rhythm
Well synchronised
Each contraction must last long enough
Must function at all times
Fatigue resistance
Involuntary
Auto-rhythmic
Appears roughly rectangular in tissue sections
Slightly forked or notched at the end<br>
Each fork links one cell to the next<br>
Uses aerobic respiration almost exclusively
Rich in myoglobin & sarcolemma<br>
Takes up 25% of the cell
Myoglobin

A protein found in muscle tissue that binds oxygen and stores it for later use
Autorhythmic

The ability to regulate rhythm
Cardiac smooth muscle

Limited to the heart. Function is to pump blood
Functions of cardiac muscle
Regulates rhythm
Well synchronized
Each contraction must last long enough
Must function at all times
Fatigue resistance
Sarcolemma

The cell membrane of a muscle fiber
Smooth muscle is found in
Blood vessels<br>Body cavity organs (vessels)<br>Respiratory urinary, digestive & reproductive tracts<br>Wiscera huscle<br>Smooth muscle maintains a state of contraction called Smooth muscle tone
Smooth muscle
Involuntary & lacks striations<br>Only nucleus in the middle of the cell
Smooth muscle fibers
Huch Shafter than skeletal muscle fibers<br>Thick & Thin myofilaments are present<br>Soccanwas 2-discs are absent<br>Smooth muscle maintains a state of contraction called Smooth muscle tone<br>Smooth muscle contracts in response to nervous stimulation<br>Smooth muscle contains very little sarcoplasmic reticulum<br>Fully capable of mitosis
