single-unit smooth muscle

Single-unit smooth muscle, or visceral smooth muscle is a type of smooth muscle found in the uterus, gastro-intestinal tract, and the bladder. In SUVSM, a single smooth muscle cell in a bundle is innervated by an autonomic nerve fiber. An action potential can be propagated through neighbouring muscle cells due to the presence of many gap junctions between the cells. Due to this property, SUVSM bundles form a syncytium that contracts in a coordinated fashion (such as uterine muscles do during childbirth).