Which term best describes the muscle that forms the walls of the heart and contracts rhythmically to pump blood?

• A. Heart Muscle
• B. Skeletal Muscle
• C. Smooth Muscle
• D. Nerve Tissue

Answer: (A)

Heart muscle, or cardiac muscle, is the tissue that forms the walls of the heart and contracts rhythmically to pump blood. It’s designed to beat automatically and continuously, coordinated by the heart’s own conduction system so you don’t need to think about it. This tissue is a special kind of muscle that is involuntary and capable of sustained, rhythmic contractions. It’s different from skeletal muscle, which attaches to bones and moves the body under voluntary control, and from smooth muscle, which lines the walls of hollow organs and vessels and contracts more slowly and involuntarily. Nerve tissue isn’t muscle at all; it transmits signals to coordinate body functions.