Muscle Tissue

types of muscle tissue

skeletal, cardiac, smooth

intercalated discs

specialized attachment sites containing gap junctions and desmosomes. Cardiocytes form extensive connections with these.

muscle tissue

specialized for contraction. Muscle cells contract due to interactions between filaments of the myosin and actin

skeletal muscle tissue

stirated volunary muscle that contains large, multinucleated cells. Cells are very long and thin. Individual muscle cells are called fibers. The pattern of actin and myosin causes stirations to appear.

smooth muscle tissue

Found in the walls of blood vessels, within glands, and along the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and reproductive tracts. Cell is small and slender. tapers to a point on each end. Is a non-stirated involuntary muscle.

cardiac muscle

found in the heart. also stirated. single nucleus, smaller than skeletal muscle fibers. limited ability to repair itself.

pacemaker cells

heart cells that regularly produce spontaneous electrical impulses that establish a regular rate of contracitons.