The heart wall itself is a prime example of cardiac muscle.
The heart's muscular wall, known as the myocardium, is almost entirely composed of cardiac muscle tissue. This specialized muscle tissue is responsible for the heart's ability to contract and pump blood throughout the body. The myocardium is strategically sandwiched between the inner endocardium and the outer epicardium (also known as the visceral pericardium), providing the structural and functional foundation for the heart's pumping action. So, rather than being just part of the heart, the heart is cardiac muscle (mostly).
Here's a breakdown of the heart wall's layers:
- Endocardium: The innermost layer lining the heart chambers.
- Myocardium: The thick middle layer composed of cardiac muscle. This is the example of cardiac muscle requested.
- Epicardium: The outer layer, also known as the visceral pericardium.
In essence, when we speak of cardiac muscle, the heart, and particularly the myocardium, immediately comes to mind as the definitive example.
