Question

Cardiac muscle has a prolonged period of slow repolarization called the plateau phase.

a. true
b. false

Answer 1

The correct answer is option b. The cardiac muscle does have a prolonged period of slow repolarization called the plateau phase. It allows the heart muscle cells to fully contract before another electrical event can occur.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement is b) false.

The cardiac muscle does have a prolonged period of slow repolarization called the plateau phase. During this phase, calcium ions enter the cell, which causes the membrane potential to remain at a plateau rather than rapidly repolarizing like in other muscle types.

This plateau phase allows the heart muscle cells to fully contract before another electrical event can occur. It is a key characteristic of cardiac muscle and contributes to the rhythmic contractions of the heart.