CVS Practice Test 2025 – The All-In-One Guide to Exam Success!

The term "syncytium" describes a network of interconnected cells that function as a single unit, particularly in the context of muscle tissue or during certain cellular processes. In a syncytium, multiple cells fuse together, allowing for coordinated function and communication across a mass of cytoplasm that contains multiple nuclei. This is especially significant in cardiac muscle where heart muscle cells are interconnected, enabling synchronized contractions essential for pumping blood effectively throughout the body.

In contrast, myofibrils are the contractile elements within a muscle fiber, made up of proteins like actin and myosin, but they do not represent a network of cells working together. The interstitial space refers to the area around cells where extracellular fluid is found, and the nucleus is the organelle that houses genetic material, not a term that describes a network of cells. Therefore, "syncytium" is the most appropriate term to describe this interconnected functioning of cells.