Cardiac Muscle Fibres:

- Cardiac muscle fibres are branched and interconnected by oblique bridges.
- These muscle fibres are found in the walls of the heart.
- Cardiac muscle is a special type of muscle tissue that is responsible for the contraction of the heart, allowing it to pump blood throughout the body.

Structure and Function of Cardiac Muscle Fibres:
- Cardiac muscle fibres are striated, meaning they have a striped appearance when viewed under a microscope.
- The striations are due to the arrangement of contractile proteins within the muscle fibres.
- These proteins, called actin and myosin, are responsible for the contraction of the muscle.
- The branched nature of cardiac muscle fibres allows for coordinated contractions, ensuring that the heart beats as a whole rather than individual segments.

Intercalated Discs:
- One unique feature of cardiac muscle fibres is the presence of intercalated discs.
- Intercalated discs are specialized cell junctions that connect adjacent cardiac muscle cells.
- They contain gap junctions, which allow for the rapid transmission of electrical signals between cells.
- This allows for the coordinated contraction of the entire heart, ensuring that all the chambers contract in sync.

Function of Cardiac Muscle Fibres:
- Cardiac muscle fibres contract rhythmically and involuntarily, allowing the heart to pump blood.
- The contraction of cardiac muscle is regulated by electrical signals that originate in the sinoatrial (SA) node, often referred to as the "natural pacemaker" of the heart.
- These electrical signals spread rapidly through the intercalated discs, causing the muscle fibres to contract in a coordinated manner.
- The contraction and relaxation of cardiac muscle fibres allow the heart to pump blood efficiently throughout the body.

Conclusion:
- In conclusion, branched muscle fibres interconnected by oblique bridges are cardiac muscle fibres.
- These muscle fibres are striated, and their unique structure allows for coordinated contractions and efficient pumping of blood by the heart.