Characteristics of smooth and cardiac muscle include all of the following EXCEPT?
High-Yield Explanation
Cardiac muscle consists of long, branching fibers whereas smooth muscle cells or fibers are unbranched. Cardiac muscle is striated and resembles skeletal muscle in its arrangement of contractile elements. Cardiac fibers that are specialized to conduct impulses are called Purkinje fibers. Central nuclei, one per cell, are common to smooth and cardiac muscle. Skeletal muscle has multiple nuclei per cell.
Gap junctions are a component of the cardiac muscle intercalated disk, in addition to desmosomes and a fascia adherens (zonula adherens) Gap junctions join smooth muscle cells, allowing for a wavelike spread of contraction.