electrical conduction: Electrical conduction system of the heart From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2013) Electrical conduction system of the heart Electrical conduction system of the heart.svg Isolated conduction system of the heart RLS 12blauLeg.png Heart; conduction system 1-SA node. 2-AV node. 3. Bundle of His. 8. Septum Latin systema conducente cordis Principle of ECG formation. Note that the red lines represent the depolarization wave, not bloodflow. The normal electrical conduction in the heart allows the impulse that is generated by the sinoatrial node (SA node) of the heart to be propagated to (and stimulate) the cardiac muscle (myocardium). The myocardium contracts after stimulation. It is the ordered stimulation of the myocardium that allows efficient contraction of the heart, thereby allowing blood to be pumped throughout the body. Contents [hide] 1 Structure 2 Function 2.1 Electrochemical mechanism 2.2 Requirements for effective pumping 3 Depolarization and the ECG 3.1 SA node: P wave 3.2 AV node/Bundles: PR interval 3.3 Purkinje fibers/ventricular myocardium: QRS complex 3.4 Ventricular repolarization 4 Clinical significance 4.1 ECG 4.2 Arrhythmia 4.2.1 Speed 4.2.2 Physiological 4.3 Pacemakers 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Structure[edit] Signals arising in the SA node stimulate the atria to contract and travel to the AV node. After a delay, the stimulus is conducted through the bundle of His to the Purkinje fibers and the endocardium at the apex of the heart, then finally to the ventricular epicardium.[1] On the microscopic level, the wave of depolarization propagates to adjacent cells via gap junctions located on the intercalated disk. The heart is a functional syncytium (not to be confused with a true syncytium in which all the cells are fused together, sharing the same plasma membrane as in skeletal muscle). In a functional syncytium, electrical impulses propagate freely between cells in every direction, so that the myocardium functions as a single contractile unit. This property allows rapid, synchronous depolarization of the myocardium. While advantageous under normal circumstances, this property can be detrimental, as it has potential to allow the propagation of incorrect electrical signals. These gap junctions can close to isolate damaged or dying tissue, as in a myocardial infarction. Function[edit] Electrochemical mechanism[edit] Main article: Cardiac action potential Cardiac muscle has some similarities to neurons and skeletal muscle, as well as important unique properties. Like a neuron, a given myocardial cell has a negative membrane potential when at rest. Stimulation above a threshold value induces the opening of voltage-gated ion channels and a flood of cations into the cell. The positively charged ions entering the cell cause the depolarization characteristic of an action potential. Like skeletal muscle, depolarization causes the opening of voltage-gated calcium channels and release of Ca2+ from the t-tubules. This influx of calcium causes calcium-induced calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and free Ca2+ causes muscle contraction. After a delay, Potassium channels reopen and the resulting flow of K+ out of the cell causes repolarization to the resting state. Note that there are important physiological differences between nodal cells and ventricular cells; the specific differences in ion channels and mechanisms of polarization give rise to unique properties of SA node cells, most important, the spontaneous depolarizations necessary for the SA nodes pacemaker activity. Requirements for effective pumping[edit] In order to maximize efficiency of contraction and cardiac output, the conduction system of the heart has: Substantial atrial to ventricular delay. This will allow the atria to completely empty their contents into the ventricles; simultaneous contraction would cause inefficient filling and backflow. The atria are electrically isolated from the ventricles, connected only via the AV node which briefly delays the signal. Coordinated contraction of ventricular cells. The ventricles must maximize systolic pressure to force blood through the circulation, so all the ventricular cells must work together. Ventricular contraction begins at the apex of the heart, progressing upwards to eject blood into the great arteries. Contraction that squeezes blood towards the exit is more efficient than a simple squeeze from all directions. Although the ventricular stimulus originates from the AV node in the wall separating the atria and ventricles, the Bundle of His conducts the signal to the apex. Depolarization propagates through cardiac muscle very rapidly. Cells of the ventricles contract nearly simultaneously. The action potentials of cardiac muscle are unusually sustained. This prevents premature relaxation, maintaining initial contraction until the entire myocardium has had time to depolarize and contract. Absence of tetany. After contracting, the heart must relax to fill up again. Sustained contraction of the heart without relaxation would be fatal, and this is prevented by a temporary inactivation of certain ion channels. Depolarization and the ECG[edit] See also: Electrocardiogram ECG principle slow.gif The ECG complex. P=P wave, PR=PR interval, QRS=QRS complex, QT=QT interval, ST=ST segment, T=T wave SA node: P wave[edit] Under normal conditions, electrical activity is spontaneously generated by the SA node, the physiological pacemaker. This electrical impulse is propagated throughout the right atrium, and through Bachmanns bundle to the left atrium, stimulating the myocardium of the atria to contract. The conduction of the electrical impulse throughout the atria is seen on the ECG as the P wave. As the electrical activity is spreading throughout the atria, it travels via specialized pathways, known as internodal tracts, from the SA node to the AV node. AV node/Bundles: PR interval[edit] Gray501.png The AV node functions as a critical delay in the conduction system. Without this delay, the atria and ventricles would contract at the same time, and blood wouldnt flow effectively from the atria to the ventricles. The delay in the AV node forms much of the PR segment on the ECG. And part of atrial repolarization can be represented by PR segment. The distal portion of the AV node is known as the Bundle of His. The Bundle of His splits into two branches in the interventricular septum, the left bundle branch and the right bundle branch. The left bundle branch activates the left ventricle, while the right bundle branch activates the right ventricle. The left bundle branch is short, splitting into the left anterior fascicle and the left posterior fascicle. The left posterior fascicle is relatively short and broad, with dual blood supply, making it particularly resistant to ischemic damage. The left posterior fascicle transmits impulses to the papillary muscles, leading to mitral valve closure. As the left posterior fascicle is shorter and broader than the right, impulses reach the papillary muscles just prior to depolarization, and therefore contraction, of the left ventricle myocardium. This allows pre-tensioning of the chordae tendinae, increasing the resistance to flow through the mitral valve during left ventricular contraction. This mechanism works in the same manner as pre-tensioning of car seatbelts. Purkinje fibers/ventricular myocardium: QRS complex[edit] The two bundle branches taper out to produce numerous Purkinje fibers, which stimulate individual groups of myocardial cells to contract. The spread of electrical activity through the ventricular myocardium produces the QRS complex on the ECG. Ventricular repolarization[edit] The last event of the cycle is the repolarization of the ventricles. It is the restoring of the resting state. In the ECG, repolarization includes the J wave, ST-segment, and T- and U-waves.[2] Clinical significance[edit] ECG[edit] Main article: Electrocardiogram The electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) is often used to examine the electrical conduction system of the heart. Arrhythmia[edit] Main article: Cardiac arrhythmia An arrhythmia refers to an abnormal rhythm or speed of rhythm of the heartbeat. An abnormal rhythm or speed is defined as one which is not physiological. Speed[edit] Main articles: Bradycardia and Tachycardia A resting heart that beats slower than 60 beats per minute, or faster than 100 beats per minute, is regarded as having an arrhythmia. A heartbeat slower than 60 beats per minute is known as bradycardia, and a heartbeat faster than 100 is known as a tachycardia. Physiological[edit] Some individuals, for example trained athletes, may have heart beats slower than 60 beats per minute when not exercising. If the SA node fails to initialize, the AV junction can take over as the main pacemaker of the heart. The AV junction surrounds the AV node (the AV node is not able to initialize its own impulses) and has a regular rate of 40 to 60 bpm. These junctional rhythms are characterized by a missing or inverted P-Wave. If both the SA node and the AV junction fail to initialize the electrical impulse, the ventricles can fire the electrical impulses themselves at a rate of 20 to 40 bpm and will have a QRS complex of greater than 120 ms. Pacemakers[edit] Main article: Cardiac pacemaker In the event of arrhythmia, a pacemaker may be surgically inserted into the conduction system. See also[edit] This article uses anatomical terminology; for an overview, see anatomical terminology. Bradycardia Tachycardia Circle map—simplified mathematical model of the beating heart. Collagen - stratified insulation of the conduction system. References[edit] 1.Jump up ^ Anatomy and Function of the Hearts Electrical System. Retrieved 2013-08-07. 2.Jump up ^ Kowey, P., Yan, Gan-Xin. Ventricular repolarization components on the electrocardiogram. Retrieved 2013-03-08. External links[edit] Conduction system of the heart - Merck Source [show] v· t· e Cardiovascular system, physiology: cardiovascular physiology · · · · · · · · · · · (· ) · · · (· · · · · · ) · · () · · (· ) · · · · · (· · ) · (· · ) [show] v· t· e Anatomy of torso, cardiovascular system: heart (TA A12.1, TH H3.09.01, GA 5.524) · · (· · · ) · (· ) · (· ) · (· · ) · (· · · ) · · · · · · · () · () · Categories: Cardiac electrophysiology
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 20:20:24 +0000
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