The initiation and regulation of the heart beat L11 Flashcards
How is the rhythmic pulsation of heart maintained?
rhythmic pulsation of the heart is maintained by the excitatory signals generated within the heart itself.(auto-rhythmicity)
hence the heart will continue to beat tyhmically if removed from the heart in appropriste conditions
What does the heart need in order for it to be an effective pump?
the contractions of the myocardial cells of the atria and ventricles must be co-ordinated
which is achieved by specialised cardiac conducting tissue
What is on the vertical y axis of the cardiac action potential graph?
Membrane potential (mv)
Where is Membrane potential (mV) on the cardiac action potential graph?
Vertical y axis
What is on the horizontal x axis of the cardiac action potential graph?
Time (s)
Where is time (sec) on the cardiac action potential graph?
horizontal x axis
What is the duration of a Cardiac action potential?
300ms
with a refractory period which lasts nearly as long-where the 2nd contraction cannot be triggered
What membrane potential does the cardiac action potential begin at?
Resting Membrane Potential RMP
-90mV
What is the first stage of the cardiac action potential?
Fast initial upstroke
Rapid depolarisation
Due to sodium influx, as the voltage gated FAST sodium channels open, which overall causes contraction
What stage in the cardiac action potential is this?: Fast initial upstroke, Rapid depolarisation
Due to sodium influx, as the voltage gated FAST sodium channels open, which overall causes contraction
FIRST STAGE of cardiac AP
What is the second stage of the cardiac action potential?
Plateau phase of depolarisation
Maintained depolarisation is due to inward, sustained Ca2+ ion current of movement
This allows the AP to last ALMOST as long as the CONTRACTION of the myocardial cells
Because the muscle is in refractory during and shortly after the passage of the AP, the plateau phase ensures the UNIDIRECTIONAL EXCITATION of the myocardium
caused by the Ca2+ outflow by the SLOW voltage gated Ca2+ CHANNELS and some K+ outflow when some K= channels open (Ca2+ inflow = K+outflow)-to restore negative resting membrane potential
What does the second stage of the cardiac action potential ensure?
Plateau phase ensures the UNIDIRECTIONAL EXCITATION of the myocardium ,
-due to plateau phase of slow sustained Ca2+ movement, the refractory period occurring during and shortly after the passage of the AP
caused by the Ca2+ outflow by the SLOW voltage gated Ca2+ CHANNELS and some K+ outflow when some K= channels open (Ca2+ inflow = K+outflow)-to restore negative resting membrane potential
What ensures the unidirectional excitation of cardiac muscle/myocardium?
The second plateau phase with the long refractory period occurs during and shortly after the passage of the AP
caused by the Ca2+ outflow by the SLOW voltage gated Ca2+ CHANNELS and some K+ outflow when some K= channels open (Ca2+ inflow = K+outflow)-to restore negative resting membrane potential
What is the third stage of the cardiac action potential?
Repolarisation period
Occurs when the voltage gated slow Ca2+ channels INactivate
This inactivation causes the Repolarisation of the myocardial cells
The inactivation/close of the Ca2+ flow channels and opening of the voltage gated K+ channels activation and outflow, occurs increases when ADDITIONAL K+ channels open
Resets it back to negative RMP
What resets the cardiac action potential back to negative resting potential?
the opening of the voltage gated K+ channel’s acitvation and outflow and additional K+ channels open- reseting membrane potential down to Resting Membrane Potential (RMP) resetting
What is maximum HR heart rate for humans?
180-200bpm
What does 180-200 bpm represent?
Maximum heart rate for humans
What is the maximum stroke volume SV for humans?
150mLbeat-1
What does 150 mLbeat-1 represent?
Maximum SV for humans
What lies close to the point of entry of the great veins?
SA node
where excitation is initiation, due to its specialised cells
What happens at the beginning of excitation in the myocardium?
a WAVE of depolarisation is conducted through the myocardium SWEEPING the heart, and therefore DIFFERENT parts of the heart CONTRACT BEFORE other parts
-the membrane potential between APs shows a PROGRESSIVE depolarisation and therefore progressive contraction of the myocytes
What sort of depolarisation occurs in the heart?
Progressive depolarisation and therefore a progressive wave on contraction of the myocytes, some occurring before others depending on when the AP hits it
Essentially what is the plateau phase?
Inward movement of Ca2+ calcium ions through SLOW voltage gates calcium channels
What does the Ca2+ influx ensure?
Ca2+ influx in the SLOW voltage gated calcium channels occurs during the Plateau phase, and ensures that the AP lasts almost as long as the contraction of the cell
- becuase the muscle is refracotry period is both during and shortly after the passage of the actionpotentials
- the long plateau phase ensures the unidirectional excitation of myocardium
What phase can vary in the cardiac cycle?
REpolarisation
repoloaristion caries, and occurs in the myocardiacl cells when the Voltage gaates/dependant calcium channels inacitivate?
Why is repolarisation really the only phase in the cardiac cycle susceptible to the most variation?
As it is dependant on WHEN the voltage gated CA2+ CHANNELS INACTIVATE
Is the 3rd repolarisation period of the cardiac cycle non-variable of variable?
the Third repolarisation period in the cardiac cycle IS variable
-this is due to its Dependance on WHEN the Ca2+ voltage gated ion CHANNELS INACTIVATE
How do changes in blood ion composition of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ effect the heart?
Sensitive to change is potassium K+, sodium Na+ and calcium Ca2+
This can effect their potential to generate AP
-therefore they need to maintain 1. Osmolarity
2. Ionic gradient
-as both these things effect blood composition of ion and water
What can cause changes in the heart’s ability to generate AP and how can this be controlled?
changes in ionic composition in the blood
- the heart is very sensitive to changes in potassium, sodium and calcium
- these ionic compositions can affect the heart’s ability to generate action potentials
- therefore they need to be tightly controlled and regulated
- by maintaining : Osmolarity and Ionic gradient
How can osmolarity and ionic gradients affect the heart’s ability to generate AP action potentials?
Maintains ionic compositions in the blood
What happens to your heart when it is contracting?
It twists and rings
Does your heart contract symmetrically?
No,
When the heart contracts, it twists and rings
What is the best way to increase somebody’s survival rate?
early treatment
What make’s it possible for electrodes on the Skin of the chest wall to be able to measure the electrical activity?
Water
- the body is composed of 70% water
- water is a good conductor
- allows electrical activity to spread out to your fingertips
What proportion of the body is composed of water?
70%
- water is a good conductor
- therefore allows the electrical activity to spread out to your fingertips
What does the electrical activity of the heart do?
Co-ordinates muscle activity
-needs to spread over the SURFACE of the heart
Does the heart’s electrical activity spread deep into the muscle or over the surface of the muscle?
Electrical activity spreads over the Surface of the heart
-allows this electrical activity to co-ordinate muscle activity
What happens if the firing of the heart Isnt at the correct time?
Ventricles don’t contract at the same tim
Don’t pump blood at the right time
System goes haywire
Causes ventricular Arrhythmia (pt. death)
What is Ventricular Arrhythmia?
“arrhythmia” = lack of rhythm
=lack of rhythm of the ventricle
= severe when LV is no longer pumping blood at all (due to this lack of rhythm)
=leads to death
=Need a AED (automatic Electrical Defibrillator) shock in order to Reset
-Require an Electrical Shock in order to RESET the Rhythm of the ventricular contraction in the heart - allowing the ventricle to start pumping blood again
What does “arrhythmia” mean?
“Lack of rhythm”
can be severe ventricular arrhythmia
or the daily liveable atrial arrhythmia