Question

A student is characterizing a muscle tissue sample in lab. She discovers that it is autorhythmic and contains striations. What type of muscle tissue is she working with?

a) smooth muscle
b) skeletal muscle
c) cardiac muscle

Answer 1

The muscle tissue characterized by auto rhythmicity and striations is cardiac muscle, which is found only in the heart and is capable of maintaining its own rhythm without external stimuli. Therefore , the correct answer options is c)

Step-by-step explanation:

If a student characterizes a muscle tissue sample as autorhythmic and containing striations, the type of muscle tissue she is working with is cardiac muscle. Unlike smooth muscle or skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle is known for its auto rhythmicity, meaning it can initiate and maintain its own rhythm without external stimuli.

Furthermore, similar to skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle cells display a striated appearance, which is due to the highly organized sarcomeres within the cells.

Smooth muscle is different in that it does not contain striations and is found in the walls of hollow organs, like blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract, controlling their constriction and dilation.

Therefore, the best description of the function of smooth muscle tissue is that it affects the flow of blood and blood pressure, whereas the characteristic striations and auto rhythmicity identify cardiac muscle.