Have you ever been interested to know whether your heart is a muscle or an organ?
Well, it is s tricky statement. Your heart is a muscular organ.
We define an organ as a group of tissues that work together to perform a specific function. Similarly, your heart performs the function of pumping blood throughout your body.
The heart is mainly formed with a specific muscle tissue called cardiac muscle. When your heart beats, this muscle contracts, blood pumps through your body.
What is Cardiac Muscle Tissue?
The myocardium, or cardiac muscle tissue, is a unique muscle tissue that creates the heart. The heart responsibly pumps blood around the body with the help of this muscular tissue, which contracts and releases unconsciously.
Muscle tissue is divided into three types in the human body: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. The heart contains only cardiac muscle tissue, which is made up of myocytes cells.
We find cardiac muscle only in the heart, and it includes cardiac muscle cells, which work together to keep the heart beating and the blood flowing throughout the body.
The motions of cardiac muscle tissue are involuntary, unlike skeletal muscle tissue, such as that found in the arms and legs. It means that they are unregulated and cannot be ignored.
Types of Heart Tissues
There are three tissue types in the heart, and these are also called three layers of tissue: epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium.
1. Epicardium
Mesothelial cells, fat, and connective tissues make up the visceral layer of the serous pericardium.
2. Myocardium
Cardiomyocytes make up this cell type.
3. Endocardium
The interior surface of the heart chambers and valves is lined with the endocardium. Endothelial cells and a layer of subendocardial connective tissue make up this layer.
The interconnected heart muscle cells, or fibers, give cardiac muscle tissue strength and flexibility.
The nucleus of most cardiac muscle cells is one, but some have two. The nucleus is where the cell’s genetic material is maintained.
Mitochondria, also known as “the powerhouses of the cells,” are found in cardiac muscle cells. These organelles use adenosine triphosphate to turn oxygen and glucose into energy (ATP).
The Function of Cardiac Muscle
On either side, a single myosin filament joins two actin filaments. A sarcomere is a single unit of muscle tissue formed by this process.
Cardiac muscle cells are connected with specific intercalated discs. Electrical impulses are transmitted from one cardiac muscle cell through gap junctions inside the intercalated discs.
Desmosomes are another type of structure seen in intercalated discs. These aid in the fusion of heart muscle fibers.
Cardiomyopathy is a term to describe a set of medical diseases that damage cardiac muscle tissue. It also makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood or relax normally.
Cardiomyopathy can cause a variety of symptoms, including:
- shortness of breath or trouble breathing tiredness
- Legs, ankles, and feet are swollen.
- Inflammation of the intestines or the neck
- erratic heartbeat
- murmurs in the heart
- lightheadedness or dizziness
Cardiomyopathy is caused by several factors that might enhance a person’s risk. Like:
- thyroid illness diabetes
- coronary artery disease (CAD)
- a heart attack, excessive blood pressure, and viral infections of the heart muscle
- a family history of cardiomyopathy valvular heart disease, strong alcohol intake
Heart attacks can be caused by blocked arteries, blocking off blood flow to particular parts of the heart. The heart muscle tissue in these places will eventually start to degenerate.
When the heart’s oxygen demand exceeds oxygen supply, cardiac muscle tissue might expire, and it causes cardiac proteins like troponin to be released into the circulation.
Conclusion
One of the three forms of muscle in your body is cardiac muscle tissue, and it’s only found in your heart, where it helps keep your heart pumping by coordinating contractions. After visiting your doctor, try to exercise to maintain your heart muscle working properly and lower your chance of cardiac diseases, such as cardiomyopathy.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
1. What is most of the heart made up of?
Cardiac muscle is a kind of muscular tissue that makes up most of the heart. Blood flows through your body when this muscle contracts when you beat your heart.
2. What are the 4 parts of the heart?
The heart is divided into four chambers: two atria and two ventricles.
The right atrium receives and pumps oxygen-depleted blood to the right ventricle from the body. The right ventricle is responsible for pumping oxygen-depleted blood to the lungs. The left atrium receives and pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left ventricle.
3. What creates a heartbeat?
Electrical impulses run through a specific pathway in your heart, triggering your heartbeat: the SA node (sinoatrial node), also known as the heart’s natural pacemaker. The impulse originates in the SA node, a tiny cluster of specialized cells in the right atrium.