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Cardiac, Smooth, Vascular Smooth

Cardiac

  • A: Myocardium of the heart is comprised of cardiac muscle.

    B: Purkinje fibers are larger than normal cardiac muscle fibers with a pale staining central area. They function to conduct electrical impulses in the proper direction. Histologically they are modified cardiac myocytes.

    C: Endocardium has a surface layer of endothelium which is simple squamous.
  • A: Cardiac Myocytes with their centrally located nuclei

    B: Purkinje fibers adjacent to the endocardium

    C: Simple squamous endothelium
  • A: Bifucations are points where the cardiac muscle splits or branches into two separate portions.

    B: Simple squamous endothelial layer

    C: Nuclei are centrally located and there can me more than one nucleus per fiber
  • A: Cardiac myocytes

    B: Purkinje fiber
  • A: Bifurcation

    B: Intercalated discs are found between adjacent cardiac muscle cells and are specialised junctions that give mechanical support and provide a way for electrical stimulation to be passed cell to cell.

Smooth Muscle

  • A: Smooth muscle cells are fusiform in shape and have on nucleus which is found in the middle of the cell unlike skeletal muscle which has multiple peripherally located nuclei per cell.
  • A: Smooth muscle cells arranged regularly with centrally located nuclei
  • A: Smooth muscle fibers
  • A: Centrally located nuclei in a transverse cut of smooth muscle

Vascular Smooth Muscle

  • A: Simple squamous endothelium

    B: Internal elastic lamina. DECTIRA

    C: Smooth muscle fibers regularly arranged

    D: Tunica adventitia with adipose tissue
  • A: Internal elastic lamina

    B: Regularly arranged smooth muscle

    C: Tunica advetitia