Answer
Cardiocytes are shorter than the fibers of skeletal muscle. However, the sarcoplasm branches to form structures called intercalated discs. Intercalated discs have adherens junctions and desmosomes that keep the cells together and prevent them from separating during contractions.
Work Step by Step
The gap junctions in the intercalated discs couple the cells electrically and enable them to stimulate one another; as a result the cardiocytes in a heart chamber contract synchronously.
