Question

The hearts of vertebrates are myogenic, meaning that

a. neurons control the inherent pace of the heart.
b. the myocardium is compact and therefore has a coronary circulation.
c. the impulse to contract originates within the muscle tissue.
d. there is a cardiac conduction system.

Answer 1

The hearts of vertebrates are myogenic, meaning that the impulse to contract originates within the muscle tissue. Cardiac muscle can initiate its own electrical impulse without stimulation from the nervous system. The pacemaker cells control the heart rate and respond to signals from the autonomic nervous system.

Step-by-step explanation:

The hearts of vertebrates are myogenic, which means that the impulse to contract originates within the muscle tissue. Unlike skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle can initiate its own electrical impulse without stimulation from the nervous system. This property is known as autorhythmicity. The specialized cardiac muscle cells, called pacemaker cells, control the heart rate and respond to signals from the autonomic nervous system to speed up or slow down the heart rate.