Conduction of Impulses in the heart Flashcards
What is unique about the heart’s nervous supply?
it exhibits autorhythmicity it triggers its own impulse from the SA node which will cause contraction independent of the wider nervous system
where does the excitation of the heart normally originate?
The sinoatrial SA node which is located in the right upper atrium where the superior vena cava enters the heart
when is the heart said to be in sinus rhythm?
when the heart beat is being controlled by the sinoatrial node
what is the resting membrane potential of the pacemaker cells in the SA node?
The pacemaker cells have no stable resting potential, they generate regular spontaneous pacemaker potentials
How is an action potential fired in the pacemaker cells of the SA node?
The pacemaker potential increases until the membrane potential reaches a threshold and an action potential is fired
The SA node generates
regular spontaneous action potentials
what is the pacemaker potential?
the slow depolarisation of a membrane potential to a threshold
the pacemaker potential is due to
- decrease in K+ efflux
- Na+ influx (the funny current)
- transient Ca2+ influx (T-type channels)
What causes repolarisation of the SA node?
- L-type Ca2+ channels are inactivated
- K+ channels are activated causing K+ efflux
How does cardiac excitation normally spread across the heart?
- SA node
- cell-to-cell conduction through the atria and to the AV node (although there are a few internodal pathways)
- AV node to the bundle of His
- Down the left and right fibres of the bundle to the Purkinje fibre
- Purkinje fibres deliver the excitation to the ventricles
How does cell-to-cell spread of excitation occur?
The excitation spreads between cells through the desmosomes and the gap junctions
What it the atrioventricular AV node?
- small bundle of specialised cardiac cells
- the only point of electrical conductivity between the atria and ventricles
Where is the AV node?
The base of the right atrium just above the atrioventricular junction
Why is conduction delayed in the AV node?
- the cells are small in diameter and have slow conduction velocity
- to allow atrial systole to precede ventricular systole
What is the resting membrane potential of the cardiac myocytes?
-90mV until the cell is excited
