Week 1- Electrophysiology of the Heart Flashcards
What is the main function of the electrical conduction system?
- to create an electrical impulse and transmit to the rest of the myocardium
- this is an electrochemical process that creates electrical energy, picked up by the electrodes in an ECG
What are some things to keep in mind about the conduction system?
- Actually inside the heart walls
- Atrial myocytes are innervated by direct contact from one cell to another
- Internodal pathways transmit the impulse from the SA node to the AV node
- Purkinje system is the final component- innervates myocardial cells
What is the pacemaker function?
- Dictates the rate at which the heart will cycle through its pumping action to circulate the blood
- Creates an organized beating of all cardiac cells in a specialized sequence
- Sets the pace of all other cells that will follow
What is the SA Node?
- The main area that acts as the heart’s pacemaker
- Controls the beat based on information it receives from the nervous, circulatory, and endocrine system
What is the pacemaker setting for the SA Node?
- 60-100 BPM
- 60-80 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for the atrial cells?
- 55-60 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for the AV Node?
- 45-50 BPM
- 40-6 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for the Bundle of His?
- 40-45 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for the Bundle branch?
- 40-45 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for the Purkinje Cells?
- 20-40 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for Purkinje system?
- 20-40 BPM
What is the pacemaker setting for Myocardial Cells?
- 30-35 BPM
Where is the SA Node located?
- Found in the upper part of the wall of the right atrium at its junction with the superior vena cava
- Electrical impulses are generated here
- The farther away the impulse is generated from the SA node the slower it becomes
What is the main purpose of the Internodal Pathways?
- Main purpose is to transmit the pacing impulse from the SA node to the AV node
Where are the Internodal pathways found?
- they are found in the walls of the right atrium and interatrial septum
What are the three pathways of the internodal?
- Anterior
- Middle
- Posterior
What is the Bachmann bundle?
- small tract of specialized cells that transmits impulses through the interatrial septum, preferred path for electrical activity for left atrium
What does the AV node do?
- Controls HR (electrical relay station)
- Slows down conduction from atria to ventricles long enough for atrial contraction- then allows the signal to pass into the ventricles
- Helps maintain output of heart at the maximum level
- Always supplied by right coronary artery
Where is the AV node located?
- In the wall of the right atrium next to the opening of the coronary sinus, near the coronary sinus and the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve
What is the Bundle of His?
- Collection of heart muscle cells specialized for electrical conduction
- Transmits impulses from the AV node to purkinje fibers then to the ventricles
- The ONLY route of communication between the atria and ventricles
Where is the Bundle of His located?
- Starts at the AV node
- Found partially in right atrium, and interventricular septum
What is the Left Bundle Branch? (LBB)
- First area to depolarize
Where is the LBB located?
- Begins at the end of bundle of His
- Travels through interventricular system
- Ends at beginning of left anterior and left posterior fascicles
What is the Right Bundle Branch?
- Gives rise to fibers that innervate RV and right face of interventricular septum