AEMCA Practice Exam

True or False: Do auto-rhythmic cells have the ability to contract?

1. True

2. False

3. Not applicable

4. Only in specific conditions

The correct answer is: False

Auto-rhythmic cells, primarily found in the heart, are specialized cells responsible for initiating and conducting electrical impulses, allowing the heart to maintain its rhythm. While they play a crucial role in controlling the heart's contractions through the generation of action potentials, auto-rhythmic cells themselves do not have the capability to contract like cardiac muscle cells. Instead, their primary function is to trigger contraction in the surrounding muscle cells, which do possess the contractile machinery necessary for this function. This distinction emphasizes that these cells are more about electrical signaling than about mechanical contraction, which is why the statement is true that they do not contract themselves. The other options present alternative interpretations, but they do not align with the fundamental understanding of the role of auto-rhythmic cells in cardiac physiology.