Skeletal muscle cells exhibit a phenomenon known as recruitment, in which the number of muscle cells recruited to contract is pr
oportional to the strength of muscle contraction needed. In this way, we activate a few fibers to produce a small contraction to pick up a piece of paper and we activate many fibers to produce a larger contraction to pick up a textbook. Would you expect to see recruitment in cardiac muscle tissue
No, cardiac muscle tissue does not exhibit recruitment.
Explanation:
The cardiac muscle tissue does not recruit cells to contract. The reason is that the cardiac muscle contracts all its cells at once and with the same force. It does not have to recruit other cells since it does not have to lift objects of different weights. The heart's contraction aims to pump blood and to do it rhythmically. The heart has a natural peacemaker, the sinoatrial node. The Sinoatrial node transmits an electrical impulse to all the heart to contract it all at the same time and continuously. For these reasons, the cardiac muscle does not need recruitment.
