Intercalated disc

Last updated
Intercalated disc
Glanzstreifen.jpg
Cardiac muscle, an intercalated disc can be seen joining cardiomyocytes in magnified section
1020 Cardiac Muscle.jpg
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 or lines of Eberth are microscopic identifying features of cardiac muscle. Cardiac muscle consists of individual heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) connected by intercalated discs to work as a single functional syncytium. By contrast, skeletal muscle consists of multinucleated 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 the sarcomere and can be visualized easily when observing a longitudinal section of the tissue.

Contents

Structure

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. [2]

All of these junctions work together as a single unit called the area composita. [2]

Clinical significance

Mutations in the intercalated disc gene are responsible for various cardiomyopathies that can lead to heart failure. [2]

Ruptured intercalated discs, in this case regarded as a visual artifact. Histopathology of ruptured intercalated discs.jpg
Ruptured intercalated discs, in this case regarded as a visual artifact.

Ruptured intercalated discs, when seen on histopathology, have two main causes:

Additional signs indicating forceful myocardial contraction are: [5] [6]

References

  1. ↑ Creative Commons by small.svg  This article incorporates text available under the CC 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.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Zhao, G; Qiu, Y; Zhang, HM; Yang, D (January 2019). "Intercalated discs: cellular adhesion and signaling in heart health and diseases". Heart Failure Reviews. 24 (1): 115–132. doi:10.1007/s10741-018-9743-7. PMID   30288656. S2CID   52919432.
  3. 1 2 3 Feher, Joseph (2012-01-01), Feher, Joseph (ed.), "5.7 - The Cellular Basis of Cardiac Contractility" , Quantitative Human Physiology (Second Edition), Boston: Academic Press, pp. 547–555, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-800883-6.00051-3, ISBN   978-0-12-800883-6 , retrieved 2020-12-28
  4. ↑ Page 38 in: Giorgio Baroldi (2004). The Etiopathogenesis of Coronary Heart Disease: A Heretical Theory Based on Morphology, Second Edition. CRC Press. ISBN   9781498712811.
  5. 1 2 Page 55 in: Vittorio Fineschi, Giorgio Baroldi, Malcolm D. Silver (2016). Pathology of the Heart and Sudden Death in Forensic Medicine. CRC Press. ISBN   9781420006438.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 Fineschi, Vittorio; Karch, Steven B.; D'Errico, Stefano; Pomara, Cristoforo; Riezzo, Irene; Turillazzi, Emanuela (2005). "Cardiac pathology in death from electrocution". International Journal of Legal Medicine. 120 (2): 79–82. doi:10.1007/s00414-005-0011-8. ISSN   0937-9827. PMID   16078070. S2CID   24759863.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.