Conquer the Kaplan Nursing Entrance 2025 – Prep, Practice, and Prosper!

Cardiac muscle is characterized as involuntary and striated, which means that it operates without conscious control and exhibits a banded appearance due to the arrangement of its fibers. This striation results from the highly organized structure of the muscle fibers, which contain alternating dark and light bands formed by the regular pattern of actin and myosin filaments.

The involuntary nature of cardiac muscle is vital for its function, as it must continuously contract and pump blood throughout the body without requiring conscious thought. This distinguishes it from voluntary muscle, such as skeletal muscle, which is under direct conscious control and can be contracted on command.

Contrastingly, other types of muscle tissue, such as smooth muscle, are also involuntary but lack striations, giving them a different appearance and function. They are generally found in hollow organs, such as the digestive tract and blood vessels, where they help facilitate movement of substances. Voluntary muscle, which is characterized by conscious control, does not pertain to cardiac muscle, reaffirming its unique classification.