Intercalated discs and striations are characteristic of which type of muscle tissue?

• A. Cardiac muscle
• B. Smooth muscle
• C. Epithelial tissue
• D. Skeletal muscle

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by understanding the structural and functional characteristics of the muscle tissues mentioned in the options: cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and skeletal muscle. Epithelial tissue is not a muscle tissue, so it can be excluded from consideration.
2. Step 2: Recall that intercalated discs are specialized connections between cardiac muscle cells. These discs contain gap junctions and desmosomes, which allow for synchronized contraction and communication between cells.
3. Step 3: Understand that striations are alternating light and dark bands visible under a microscope, caused by the arrangement of actin and myosin filaments. Striations are present in both cardiac and skeletal muscle but absent in smooth muscle.
4. Step 4: Compare the options: Smooth muscle lacks both striations and intercalated discs, skeletal muscle has striations but no intercalated discs, and cardiac muscle has both striations and intercalated discs.
5. Step 5: Based on the presence of both intercalated discs and striations, identify cardiac muscle as the correct answer.