III. Cardiac Muscle Fibers (pp. 671–674; Figs. 18.12–18.13)
A. Microscopic Anatomy (p. 671; Fig. 18.12)
1. Cardiac muscle is striated and contraction occurs via the sliding filament mechanism.
2. The cells are short, fat, and branched, and each cardiac muscle fiber has one or two
large, pale, centrally located nuclei.
4. Cells are connected to each other at intercalated discs, containing desmosomes for
structural strength, and gap junctions that allow electrical current to travel from cell to
cell.
B. Mechanism and Events of Contraction (pp. 671–673; Fig. 18.13)
1. Some cardiac muscle cells are self-excitable and initiate their own depolarization, as
well as depolarizing the rest of the heart.
3. The heart’s absolute refractory period is longer than a skeletal muscle’s, preventing
tetanic contractions.
4. Although the basic contraction mechanism is the same between cardiac and skeletal
muscle cells, the events that trigger contraction differ, with roughly 20% of the Ca++
involved entering the cell from the extracellular space.
5. The mechanism of stimulation of cardiac muscle contraction is as follows:
a. When cardiac muscle cells are stimulated, voltage gated Na+ channels allow Na+ to
C. Energy Requirements (pp. 673–674)
1. Cardiac muscle has more mitochondria than skeletal muscle, indicating reliance on
exclusively aerobic respiration for its energy demands.
supply is available, including lactic acid.
IV. Heart Physiology (pp. 674–685; Figs. 18.14–18.23)
A. Electrical Events (pp. 674–678; Figs. 18.14–18.19)
1. The heart does not depend on the nervous system to provide stimulation; it relies on