× Didn't find what you were looking for? Ask a question
Top Posters
Since Sunday
5
o
5
4
m
4
b
4
x
4
a
4
l
4
t
4
S
4
m
3
s
3
New Topic  
ppk ppk
wrote...
Valued Member
On Hiatus
Posts: 3561
12 years ago
Discuss the attachments between adjacent cardiac muscle cells. What features are important anatomically and physiologically? Is there a disadvantage to this arrangement?
Textbook 
Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach

Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach


Edition: 8th
Author:
Read 2598 times
1 Reply

Related Topics

Replies
wrote...
Valued Member
12 years ago
Cardiac muscle cells are joined by structures called intercalated disks. Abutting cells both have desmosomes, to tightly hold the cells together to withstand the physical force of contraction, and gap junctions, which act as tiny tunnels for ions to cross between cells. In this way, action potentials flow across cardiac muscle cells without disruption, as if the cells were one. One disadvantage of gap junctions is that they can be shut down, promoting fibrillation, which occurs when the cardiac muscle cells contract independently. Rather than producing useful pumping, the heart is only quivering as the teamwork of these millions of cells ceases.
New Topic      
Explore
Post your homework questions and get free online help from our incredible volunteers
  915 People Browsing
 114 Signed Up Today
Related Images
  
 236
  
 1826
  
 101
Your Opinion
Where do you get your textbooks?
Votes: 284