This medium magnification view of an oblique section from cardiac muscle shows the branching morphology that is found among muscle cells only in cardiac muscle fibers. Note how the cells form Y-shaped branches that allow each cell to attach to at least two other cells. This produces a very strong network of cells within the heart muscle that provides both strength of adhesion and and coordinated contraction. The darkly stained nuclei outside of the muscle fibers belong primarily to endothelial cells and fibroblasts.
Stain = Iron Hematoxylin.
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| Copyright by: Paul B. Bell, Jr. & Barbara Safiejko-Mroczka |
The University of Oklahoma