Final answer:
Cardiac muscle is the type of muscle that exhibits autorhythmicity, with pacemaker cells initiating electrical impulses for steady heart contractions. Intercalated disks allow efficient electrical transmission between cells for synchronized heart functioning. These cells can maintain a rhythm independently but can also be influenced by the autonomic nervous system and hormonal modulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of muscle that exhibits autorhythmicity, meaning it beats with a steady rhythm, is the cardiac muscle. This remarkable ability is due to pacemaker cells, which are specialized cardiac muscle cells capable of initiating their own electrical impulses that trigger regular heart contractions. Cardiac muscles uniquely exhibit this property, unlike smooth or skeletal muscles, although factors such as the autonomic nervous system and hormones can modulate the heart rate and blood pressure.
Cardiac muscle cells are connected by intercalated disks, which ensure efficient transmission of electrical impulses from one cell to the next, facilitating coordinated contractions of the heart. This syncytium allows the heart to function as a unit and effectively pump blood throughout the body. The autorhythmic nature of these cells means they can maintain a rhythm spontaneously or adjust to physiological demands without requiring constant signals from the nervous or endocrine systems.