ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -Intercalated discs are complex structures that connect adjacent cardiac muscle cells. The three types of cell junction recognised as making up an intercalated disc are desmosomes, fascia adherens junctions, and gap junctions. Fascia adherens are anchoring sites for actin, and connect to the closest sarcomere.

Detailed explanation-2: -In cardiac muscles of the heart, connections between neighboring cells are formed by the intercalated discs. To enable the heartbeat, the intercalated disc is highly specialized and allows for coordinated function of the heart cells.

Detailed explanation-3: -muscle cells, unique junctions called intercalated discs (gap junctions) link the cells together and define their borders. Intercalated discs are the major portal for cardiac cell-to-cell communication, which is required for coordinated muscle contraction and maintenance of circulation.

Detailed explanation-4: -Cardiac muscle fibers cells also are extensively branched and are connected to one another at their ends by intercalated discs. An intercalated disc allows the cardiac muscle cells to contract in a wave-like pattern so that the heart can work as a pump.

Detailed explanation-5: -Cardiac cells are special, amongst the muscle types, because they are connected to each other by intercalated discs-structures that are only found in cardiac muscle cells. These can be seen in this diagram, as darkly staining irregular lines, at 90 degrees to the striped sarcomeric pattern.