Cardiac Muscle/Electrical Activity of Heart

What specialized structures are found in cardiac muscle cells?

Intercalated discs

What do intercalated discs contain that helps cardiac muscle function?

Gap junctions

Which of the following best explains how ions spread across cardiac muscle?

Ions spread through intercalated discs via gap junctions, creating a depolarization wave

The heart contracts or beats rhythmically is a result of….

action potential that it generates by itself

A property of the heart is

autorhythmicity

What are the two specialized types of cardiac muscle cells?

Contractile Cells & Autorhythmic Cells (Aka Pacemakers Cells)

What percentage of cardiac muscle cells are contractile cells?

99%

What is another name for contractile cells in the heart?

Cardiac myocytes/Cardiomyocytes

What is the primary function of contractile cells?

perform the mechanical work of pumping by contracting (will undergo the CB cycle)

Do contractile cells initiate their own action potentials?

No, they do not initiate their action potentials

What is the primary function of autorhythmic cells in the heart?

To initiate & conduct action potentials responsible for contraction of the myocytes

How do autorhythmic cells differ from contractile cells?

Autorhythmic cells do not traditionally contract/contractile