Skeletal and Muscle System Archives

Which one of the following is the structure of a cardiac muscle cell ?

Cylindrical, Unbranched and Multinucleate

Spinal shaped, Uninucleate

Spinal shaped, Branched and Uninucleate

Cylindrical, Branched and Uninucleate

This question was previously asked in

UPSC CDS-1 – 2021

Cardiac muscle tissue forms the walls of the heart. Its cells, called cardiomyocytes, are cylindrical and branched. They are typically uninucleate (containing one nucleus), although some may have two nuclei. They are also striated due to the arrangement of contractile proteins. Skeletal muscle cells are cylindrical, unbranched, and multinucleate. Smooth muscle cells are spindle-shaped and uninucleate.

Cardiac muscle cells are characterized by being cylindrical, branched, and predominantly uninucleate.

Intercalated discs, which are specialized junctions between cardiac muscle cells, are another characteristic feature of cardiac muscle tissue.