An intercalated disc forms connections between neighboring cells in the heart. These structures are highly specialized and enable the coordinated function of the heart cells, known as myocytes, to allow the heart to beat. These are found only in cardiac tissue. Pathologists can quickly identify samples from the heart by spotting the intercalated discs and distinctive myocytes. Thanks to these connections, the heart can beat almost as a single unit, rather than firing cells separately as in other muscle types. ....................... Intercalated discs are areas where cardiac muscle cells (among a few other cell types) are joined together. These discs contain gap junctions, which are small pores that connect the cytoplasm of one cell to the next. In other words, the membranes of the cells are fused together, and there are tiny holes that connect the interior of the adjacent cells. The purpose for these gaps is to allow ions to pass directly from one cell to another. The consequence of this is that an action potential will spread directly from cell to cell without the need for a neurotransmitter. In the case of the heart, a functional syncitium is created, which allows the heart contraction to spread across the entire muscle (although the atria and ventricles are connected by conductive fibers, not by gap junctions).
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 09:17:04 +0000
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