Is Smooth Muscle a Syncytium

Digestive system: Intestinal smooth muscles are known to operate as an electrical syncytium. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) are reported to act as pacemaker cells, which generate slow waves that spread through the stomach and the small intestine owing to the syncytial nature of these tissues.

Which muscle is syncytium?

Cardiac muscle behaves as a functional syncytium, although it is composed of individual cells. At the lateral regions of the intercalated disks, gap junctions are protected from forces during contraction.

Is smooth muscle nucleated?

The smooth muscle is mono-nucleated, short and fusi-form in shape. During embryonic development, muscles develop form three sources, the mesenchyme, the paired hypomere and the paraxial mesoderm. The mesenchyme cells give rise to the smooth muscles that make up the walls of blood vessels and some organs.