| Intercalated disc | |
|---|---|
 Cardiac muscle, an intercalated disc can be seen joiningcardiomyocytes in magnified section | |
 Intercalated discs, desmosomes and gap junctions in cardiac muscle fiber. | |
| Details | |
| Part of | Cardiac muscle |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | discus intercalaris, discus intercalatus |
| TH | H2.00.05.2.02006 |
| Anatomical terms of microanatomy | |
Intercalated discs orlines of Eberth are microscopic identifying features ofcardiac muscle. Cardiac muscle consists of individual heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) connected by intercalated discs to work as a single functionalsyncytium. By contrast, skeletal muscle consists ofmultinucleated muscle fibers and exhibits no intercalated discs. Intercalated discs support synchronized contraction of cardiac tissue in a wave-like pattern so that the heart can work like a pump.[1] They occur at the Z line of thesarcomere and can be visualized easily when observing a longitudinal section of the tissue.
Intercalated discs are complex structures that connect adjacentcardiac muscle cells. The three types ofcell junction recognised as making up an intercalated disc aredesmosomes,fascia adherens junctions, andgap junctions.[2]
All of these junctions work together as a single unit called thearea composita.[2]
Mutations in the intercalated disc gene are responsible for variouscardiomyopathies that can lead toheart failure.[2]
Ruptured intercalated discs, when seen onhistopathology, have two main causes:
Additional signs indicating forceful myocardial contraction are:[5][6]
This article incorporatestext available under theCC BY 4.0 license.Betts, J Gordon; Desaix, Peter; Johnson, Eddie; Johnson, Jody E; Korol, Oksana; Kruse, Dean; Poe, Brandon; Wise, James; Womble, Mark D; Young, Kelly A (June 8, 2023).Anatomy & Physiology. Houston: OpenStax CNX. 10.7 Cardiac muscle tissue.ISBN 978-1-947172-04-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)