COMPARISON OF MUSCLE TYPES

Table. Comparison of Muscle Types                                                                                                        
                                                                          Muscle Type                                                                  
Characteristic            Skeletal                            Cardiac                              Smooth                                 
 Nuclei                      Multinucleated;               Single nucleus; centrally    Single nucleus; centrally
                                 peripherally located         located                               located
Banding                    Actin and myosin form     Actin and myosin form        Actin and myosin; no
                                 distinctive bands              distinctive bands                 distinctive bands
Z disks                       Present                             Present                               Z disks not present;  
                                                                                                                    cytoplasmic dense bodies
                                                                                                                    are present
T tubules                  T tubules at A-I                 T tubules at Z disk;             No T tubules; no triads
                                 junction; triads                  diads present                     or diads; caveolae are
                                 present                                                                        present
Cellular                     No junctional                    Intercalated disks               Gap junctions
     junctions                        complexes   
Neuromuscular          Present                             Not present; contraction     Not present; contraction
     junctions                                                                          is intrinsic            is intrinsic, neural, or 
                                                                                                                        hormonal
Ca 2+-binding           Troponin                          Troponin                            Calmodulin
Regeneration            Limited; satellite cells       None                                 High