Intercalated Disc (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles An intercalated disc is an undulating double membrane separating adjacent cells in cardiac muscle fibers. Intercalated discs support synchronized contraction of cardiac tissue. They can easily be visualized by a longitudinal section of the tissue. Cardiac muscle is a type of involuntary striated muscle found in the walls and histologic foundation of the heart, specifically the myocardium. Cardiac muscle is one of three major types of muscle, the others being skeletal and smooth muscle. The cells that comprise cardiac muscle are called cardiomyocytes and are sometimes seen as an intermediate between other types of muscle in terms of appearance, structure, metabolism, excitation-coupling and mechanism of contraction. Cardiac muscle shares similarities with skeletal muscle with regard to its striated appearance and contraction, with both differing significantly from smooth muscle cells. In addition, cardiac muscle cells, like skeletal muscle cells, are multinuclear whereas smooth muscle cells are mononuclear.