Heart Function & Electrical Activity Flashcards
What is the Cardiac Cycle?
The sequence of events in one complete heartbeat, including atrial systole, ventricular systole, and diastole.
What is Atrial Systole?
The contraction of the atria, pushing blood into the ventricles.
What is Ventricular Systole?
The contraction of the ventricles, pumping blood out of the heart.
What is Diastole?
The relaxation phase of the heart, allowing chambers to fill with blood.
What is Elastic Recoil?
The ability of arteries to return to their original shape after being stretched by blood pressure.
What is the Sino-Atrial Node (SAN)?
The pacemaker of the heart, generating electrical impulses to initiate the heartbeat.
What is the Atrioventricular Node (AVN)?
A node that delays the impulse from the SAN before passing it to the ventricles.
What is the Bundle of His?
A group of specialized heart muscle fibers that conduct electrical impulses from the AVN to the ventricles.
What are Purkyne (Purkinje) Fibres?
Conductive fibers that spread the impulse throughout the ventricles, causing them to contract.
What is the Septum?
The muscular wall separating the right and left sides of the heart.
What is Depolarisation?
The change in electrical charge in a cardiac cell that leads to muscle contraction.
