Word parts
What it means
One of the three kinds of muscle, found only in the heart, where it forms the myocardium. It works without our control, like smooth musclesmooth MUS-ulMuscle that works without conscious control and lines hollow organs such as the stomach, intestines, bladder, airways and blood vessels.Full entry , but it is striped under a microscope, like skeletal muscleSKEL-uh-tul MUS-ulMuscle attached to bones that a person moves by choice, such as the muscles of the arms and legs.Full entry . Its cells are joined so that an electrical signal spreads quickly and the heart contracts as one. Cardiac muscle that loses its blood supply dies (myocardial infarctionmy-oh-KAR-dee-ul in-FARK-shunDeath of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is blocked; a heart attack.my/o musclecardi/o heart-al having to do withinfarct area of dead tissueFull entry ).
At a glance
| Spanish | músculo cardíaco |
|---|---|
| Also written | cardiac muscles |
Related terms
myocardial infarction
Death of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is blocked; a heart attack.
smooth muscle
Muscle that works without conscious control and lines hollow organs such as the stomach, intestines, bladder, airways and blood vessels.
skeletal muscle
Muscle attached to bones that a person moves by choice, such as the muscles of the arms and legs.
my/o
A word root that means muscle.
SA node
Sinoatrial node: a small cluster of cells in the right atrium that starts each heartbeat.