Origin and Conduction of Cardiac Impulse Flashcards
What is the heart?
Electrically controlled muscular pump which sucks and pumps blood
Where are the electrical signals which control the heart generated?
Within the heart
What is autorhythmicity?
Heart is capable of beating rhythmically in the absence of external stimuli
Where does excitation of the heart normally begin?
Pacemaker cells in the sinoatrial node
Clusters of these cells initiate the heart beat
Where is the SA node situated?
Upper right atrium close to where superior vena cava enters the right atrium
What does the SA normally do?
Drives the entire heart rate (sets the pace)
What does it mean if a heart is in sinus rhythm?
Heart controlled by sino atrial node
Role and characteristics of cells in SA node?
No stable resting membrane potential
They generate regular spontaneous pacemaker potentials
What happens when a spontaneous pacemaker potential is generated?
It takes the membrane potential to a threshold and every time a threshold is reached an action potential is generated
What does an action potential being produced result in?
Generation of regular spontaneous action potentials in the SA nodal cells
Permeability to K+ in pacemaker cells?
Does not remain the same between action potentials
Pacemaker potential?
Slow depolarization of membrane potential to a threshold
Pacemaker potential?
Slow depolarization of membrane potential to a threshold
What does pacemaker potential look like on a diagram?
It is the beginning of a slight incline between two rises (-60mV->-40mV)
What does pacemaker potential look like on a diagram?
It is the beginning of a slight incline between two rises (-60mV->-40mV)
Ionic basis for a pacemaker action potential?
Once the threshold is reached:
- The rising phase (depolarization) of action potential is caused by activation of long-lasting L type Ca++ channels
- Resulting in Ca++ influx
- The falling phase (re-polarization) is caused by inactivation of L-type Ca++ channels and
- Activation of K+ channels resulting in K+ efflux
What is threshold?
-40mV
General description of how cardiac excitation spreads through heart?
starts at SA node Passes by cell to cell conduction to get to the AV node Then travels to the Bundle of His then down the left and right branches and to the purkinje fibers
Cell to cell excitation via GAP junctions?
From SA node through both atria
From SA node to AV node
Within ventricles
What is the AV node?
Bundle of specialized cardiac cells located at the base of the right atrium just above junction of atria and ventricles
What is special about AV node?
ONLY point of electrical contact between atria and ventricles
Spread of excitation across atria?
Mainly cell to cell via gap junctions