Final answer:
Connexin is a crucial component of gap junctions, which form channels between adjacent animal cells for communication and are especially important in cardiac muscle for synchronous contractions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Connexin is an important component of gap junctions. Gap junctions are channels that form between two adjacent animal cells, allowing ions, nutrients, and other low-molecular weight substances to pass between the cells, thus enabling them to communicate. These junctions are crucial in cardiac muscle, as they allow electrical signals to be passed efficiently, enabling heart muscle cells to contract in unison.
Gap junctions develop when a set of six proteins, known as connexins, arrange themselves in the plasma membrane into a ring structure called a connexon. When connexons in adjacent cells align, they form a channel between the two cells. This arrangement is particularly important for the synchronized contraction of the heart muscle.