1. Which shape best describes cardiac muscle cells?
a. Long and cylindrical
b. Branched
c. Fusiform
d. None of the above
The answer is b, branched. Cardiac muscle cells have an irregular, branched appearance that are shorter than
the longer, cylindrical cells found in skeletal muscle tissue, and different from the fusiform shape of smooth
muscle.
2. How many nuclei are found in cardiac muscle cells?
a. One or two
b. More than two
c. Zero
d. Five
The answer is a, one or two. These nuclei are found near the center of the cardiac muscle cells.
3. Cardiac muscle cells have striations.
a. True
b. False
The answer is a, true. Cardiac muscle cells, like skeletal muscle cells, are made up of sarcomeres that contain
actin and myosin filaments, which create the dark and light bands called striations.
4. Cardiac muscle tissue is found:
a. In the heart and lungs
b. In vessels and hollow organs
c. Attaching bone to bones
d. Only in the heart
The answer is d, only in the heart. Cardiac means “relating to the heart,” and cardiac muscle tissue is ONLY
found in the heart.
5. How is cardiac muscle primarily controlled?
a. On a voluntary basis via the somatic nervous system
b. On an involuntary basis via the autonomic nervous system
c. None of the above