Anatomy A215 Virtual Microscopy
Heart
 
 

This virtual microscope slide is of a piece of human HEART. It includes not only the muscle of the heart, but also the outer covering known as the epicardium. The little box in the image to the left indicates where the photograph below came from. This is in the middle of the cardiac muscle and would be a good place to find the features you need to be able to identify.

Cardiac muscle cells have a cylindrical shape and may branch. Each has one, or possibly two, nuclei along the axis of the cylinder. Cross striations, perpendicular to the axis, are present. Cells meet end-to-end at specialized junctions (gap junctions) called intercalated discs which are parallel to, but darker than, the faint striations.

 
 
Virtual Microscopy Table of Contents