What is the function of cardiac muscles cells?
1 Answer
The major function of cardiac muscle cells is to contract so as to enable the heart to pump blood to all the parts of the body.
Explanation:
The heart is literally the pump of the body's circulatory system, ensuring the flow of blood rich in oxygen to all parts of the body at all times. It does this continuously.
In order to do this the heart is made up of specialised cardiac muscle cells or mycocytes which, unlike most other muscle cells, contract automatically; i.e. without neural stimulation.
For this to happen, specialised cells in the right atrium form the sinus node which produces electrical impulses that stimulate the myocytes.
While each mycoyte can contract independently, for efficient pumping, they need to be synchronised. For this, the cellular membranes of these cells are intertwined, coming together to form intercalated discs that allow for synchronised contraction.
