Electrophysisology of the heart Flashcards
What are the two major types of cells in the heart? What are their jobs?
myocytes (contraction) Specialized cells (pacemakers/conduction)
What are myofibrils? What are they arranged into?
muscle cells
Arranged into a syncytium
What is the connection between myocytes that allows for conduction of an impulse between cells? Where are these found?
Gap junctions in the intercalated discs
Do myocytes have an intrinsic pacemaker ability?
No
Can you detect the pacemaker cells on an EKG?
No
What are the three major components of the specialized cells of the heart?
SA node cells
AV node cells
Purkinje fibers
What are syncytium? What are the two types in the heart?
Organized sheet of cardiac muscle cells.
There are two in the heart-atrial and ventricular
What is the etiology behind many cardiomyopathies?
Mutations in the cell membrane receptors or ion channels
True or false: cardiac muscle use the T tubule system
True
What are the two variable of the resting membrane potential
Chemical gradient
Electrical gradient
True or false: resting membrane potential = eqilibrum potential
False, equilibrium potential is different for each ion
What is the resting potential?
Resting potential for ALL ions
Of the ions separated by the lipid bilayer, K, Na, Cl, and Ca, which one(s) has /have a chemical gradient that is in the opposite direction than the electrical gradient?
K
Cl
Cardiac cell membranes are “only” permeable to which ion at rest?
K
What is the equation for determining the flow of ions through the membrane?
Ohm’s law:
I(ion) = (Vm – Veq) / R
The permeability of the membrane to Ca at rest is (high or low)
Low
What is the main source of Ca for cardiac muscle?
Extracellular
Is Ca needed in cardiac muscle to move the troponin off of the actin?
Yes (in this respect, it is more like smooth muscle)
What are the four types of ion channels found in cardiac muscle cells?
Rapid Na
Ca
K
Slow Na
Where are the funny channels located?
In the nodal cells (NOT the myocytes)
What is the cause of the plateau phase in cardiac myocytes?
Slow Ca channel opening
What will happen to a heart if EC Ca falls dramatically?
Stops beating
What is the resting membrane potential for myocytes?
-90 mV
What is occurring in phase 0 of the myocyte depolarization?
Fast Na channels open
What is occurring in phase 1 of the AP?
Early repolarization d/t closing of Na channels and a small number of K channels open
What happens in phase 2 of the cardiac AP?
Plateau phase, where Ca channels open, and K channels open
Why is the plateau phase needed for cardiac cells?
Allows ventricles to contract fully
What is phase 3 of the cardiac AP?
Repolarizaton, where Ca channels close, K channels still open
What is phase 4 of the cardiac AP?
Back to resting AP, where only K channels open
How long is the absolute (effective) refractory period? (ventricle and atria)
- 25 to 0.3 seconds for ventricle
0. 15 for atria
What determines the length of the refractory period?
Length of the plateau phase
B/c inactivation phase gate still closed
What determines the absolute refractory period? How long is it?
Not all ion channels are reset
0.05 seconds
What is the stimulus for opening of the pore region of Na channels?
Voltage change beyond threshold
What stops Na from entering the cell when the pore region is open?
Inactivation gate