week 5: cardiac physiology: structure of the lungs and heart and activity of the heart Flashcards
the heart is myogenic meaning
contacts by itself
why is the heart myogenic
pacemaker cells within the heart
SAN cells
0.1 mm in length
spontaneously beat
cardiac AP originates
SA node
not dependent on neuronal stimulation
myogenic
generated own firing rate
myogenic tissue within heart
SA node
AV node
bundle of his
dominant pacemaker
SA node as it’s at the highest frequency firing rate
delay from propagation of electrical signal
100 millisecond
how is heart muscle connected
electrically
electrical connection between cardiomyocytes
gap junctions
electrical connection between cardiomyocytes allows AP generated in pace maker cells to
spread through to adjacent cells
electrical current passes through gap junctions in intercalated discs
gap junctions in intercalated discs forms a
low resistance pathway
frequency in which AP fires controls
heart rate
pacemaker potential is controlled by
different levels of permeability to different ions
maximum diastolic potential
phase 4
lowest part of AP
can move which changes frequenxy heart rate
ussually sits around -70mV
why does membrane potential begin to rise in stage 4
due to declining permeability to K+ and increasing permeability to Na+ and Ca2+
more + ions moving into cell faster than Na+ moving out
-40mV reached
threshold reached
rapid increase in Ca2+ permeability through altide calcium channles
generate upstroke in AP
peak of AP
associated in decrease in Ca2+ permeability, channels shut
increased permeability to K+, K+ channels open
K+ leaves faster than Ca2+ enter,
causes membrane to become more negative
decrease in membrane potential
membrane potential reaches -55/60mV
permeability to K+ starts to decrease
re-entry of Na+ and Ca2+
restarting pacemaker potential
AP spreads…..
spreads through atrial tissue to AV node via internodial tracts
propagates to all of atiral but specifically goes down internodial tracts to stimulate AV node
cells in atrioventricular node AP
slower
cause delay of impulse transmitting down further- 100 milliseconds
after impulse reaches AV node,
passed to bundle of His from AV node
only electrical connection between atrial tissue and ventricular tissue
after bundle of His,
electrical tissue splits into two branches:
right and left bundle branch
where does electrical activity run down to from left and right bundle branches
apex of heart
electrical activity after apex of heart,
spread throughout ventricular tissue through Purkinje fibers
ventricular action potential has a stable:
resting membrane potential
-90mV
because of the stable resting membrane potential of the ventricular AP
unless it receives external stimulus, it will not contract therefore relies on pacemaker cells