Library · Cell
Cardiomyocyte
Make it clearer
The cell that does the muscular work of the myocardium, that muscular layer of the heart, is called a cardiomyocyte. Inside each cardiomyocyte are two proteins, actin and myosin, arranged in segments that repeat one after another like the identical links of a chain; each segment is called a sarcomere. When actin and myosin interact with each other, the cell contracts.
Not every cell in the heart does the same job. Some are contractile cardiomyocytes, the ones that generate force; others are specialized conduction cells, devoted to carrying electrical signals.
In brief
A cardiomyocyte is a specialized muscle cell in the myocardium, the muscular layer of the heart.
Inside the cell, the proteins actin and myosin are arranged into units called sarcomeres. Their interaction makes the cell contract.
Within each sarcomere, myosin pulls on actin; the combined action of many sarcomeres helps cardiac tissue contract.
Not all cardiac cells have the same job. Contractile cardiomyocytes generate force, while specialized conduction cells propagate electrical signals.
Sources (1)
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityCardiac Muscle and Electrical Activity
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated