Why does tetany not occur in cardiac muscle?
A)Tetany does not occur because the sarcoplasmic reticulum in cardiac muscle does not hold as much calcium for maximum sustained contractions.
B)Tetany does not occur because the gap junctions in cardiac muscle prevent the sustained contraction.
C)Tetany does not occur because cardiac muscle has a long refractory period that continues until relaxation is well under way so summation cannot occur,and thus tetany cannot occur.
D)Tetany does not occur because cardiac muscle cells are branched instead of lying in parallel fibers like skeletal muscle.
E)Tetany does not occur because the depolarizations in cardiac muscle are not sufficient to cause the formation of action potentials.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tetany occurs when multiple action potentials are generated by rapid stimulation, causing sustained muscle contractions. However, cardiac muscle has a long refractory period that lasts until relaxation is well underway, preventing the generation of multiple action potentials and thus preventing tetany from occurring.

Why Does Tetany Not Occur in Cardiac Muscle