Eletrical Activity of the Heart

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  • Created by: tiacoles
  • Created on: 23-02-16 19:47

Control of Heartbeat

Cardiac muscle is 'myogenic' - this means that it can contract and relax without recieving signals from the nerves. This pattern of contractions controls the regular heartbeat. 

The process starts in the sino-atrial node (SAN), which is in the wall of the right atrium. The SAN is like a pacemaker - it sets the rhythm of the heartbeat by sending regular waves of electrical activity over the atrial walls. This causes both atria to contract at the same time. A band of non-conducting collagen tissue prevents the waves of electrical activity from being passed directly from the atria to the ventricles. Instead, these waves of electrical activity re transferred from the SAN

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