Cardiac muscle also called the myocardium, is one of three major categories of muscles found within the human body, along with smooth muscle and skeletal muscle . Cardiac muscle , like skeletal muscle , is made up of sarcomeres that allow for contractility. However, unlike skeletal muscle , cardiac muscle is under involuntary control. In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Meaning of the Cardiac Muscle 2. Properties of the Cardiac Muscle 3. Action Potential. Meaning of the Cardiac Muscle : The muscle is involuntary and striated. The muscle fibers repeatedly branch and interdigitate. Wherever these branches come in contact an intercalated disk present, it will maintain continuity with the surrounding fibers through gap junctions. These are the areas which offer least resistance for the passage of electrical current ... Cardiac muscle is made up of specialised cells called cardiomyocytes. These cells are sometimes called contractile myofibrils because they are long and cylindrical (shaped like a fibril) and they contract at a regular rate to keep blood flowing through the heart . The contractile functional unit of myofibril is known as the sarcomere. Cardiac muscle (or myocardium) makes up the thick middle layer of the heart . It is one of three types of muscle in the body, along with skeletal and smooth muscle . The myocardium is surrounded by a thin outer layer called the epicardium (AKA visceral pericardium) and an inner endocardium. Coronary arteries supply to the cardiac muscle , and cardiac veins drain this blood. Cardiomyocytes are the individual cells that make up the cardiac muscle . The primary function of cardiomyocytes is to ...
