Final answer:
The cardiac muscle is the muscle tissue composed of branching cells with intercalated discs, essential for its synchronized contractions and cardiac function.
Step-by-step explanation:
The muscle that has tissue composed of branching cells and intercalated discs is the cardiac muscle. Cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, are unique in their structure and function. These cells possess myofibrils made up of myofilaments organized into sarcomeres, similar to skeletal muscle, but differ as the fibers branch and form connections with other cardiac muscle fibers through intercalated discs. These discs are critical for the heart's function as they contain gap junctions and desmosomes, which allow for the synchronized contraction of the heart by permitting the passage of ions and supporting the transmission of electrical impulses from one cell to another. Moreover, cardiac muscle cells are usually mononucleated and form a syncytium, allowing them to operate as a single functional unit.
Intercalated discs are specialized regions that run along the plasma membrane of cardiac muscle cells, joining them together. They help maintain the structural integrity during the dynamic pressures of the cardiac cycle. The cohesive structure of the cardiac muscle, enabled by these cells and intercalated discs, is essential for the heart's ability to pump blood throughout the body efficiently.