Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles

Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles

The primary role of cardiac muscles is to propel blood throughout the cardiovascular system. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, exhibit specialized characteristics that allow them to perform this function.
Cardiac muscle cells are smaller than skeletal muscles, averaging 10–20 mm in diameter and 50–100 mm in length. However, they have large energy demands for continuous contraction and relaxation. This energy is almost exclusively derived from aerobic metabolism of energy reserves in...

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

The normal cardiac rhythm is a synchronized electrical activity that facilitates the regular and coordinated contraction of the heart muscle. This process is essential for efficient blood circulation throughout the body. The fundamental elements involved in establishing and maintaining this rhythm include the unique electrical properties of cardiac muscle cells, the sinoatrial (SA) node's pacemaker function, the specialized conducting system, and the ionic mechanisms underlying each phase of...

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias are irregular heart rhythms occurring when the heart's electrical impulses become abnormal. These disturbances can lead to various symptoms, depending on their severity and the underlying cause. Some common factors contributing to arrhythmias include hypoxia, ischemia, electrolyte imbalances, excessive catecholamine exposure, drug toxicity, and muscle overstretching. Arrhythmias can be classified into two main types based on the rate and site of origin of abnormal heart rhythms.

Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance

Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance

Typical heart performance is influenced by heart rate, rhythm, myocardial contraction, and metabolism or blood flow. The cardiac muscle exhibits distinct electrophysiological features, including pacemaker activity and calcium channel control, which play a vital role in the heart's response to various drugs. The autonomic nervous system, comprising the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, regulates heart rate. Sympathetic activation increases heart rate, while parasympathetic activation...

Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac action potentials are essential for proper heart function, enabling the rhythmic contractions needed for adequate blood circulation. Nodal cells and Purkinje fibers, specialized for electrical conduction, generate these action potentials.
The cardiac action potential process involves a series of phases characterized by the movement of ions across the cardiac cell membranes, leading to the depolarization and repolarization of the cardiac myocytes.
Ionic Basis of Cardiac Action Potentials

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Interatrial Features of Length-Dependent Regulation of Myocardial Force in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Rats.

Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine·2025

Same author

Corrigendum to "Development and psychometric evaluation of the Man-Made Disaster-Related Distress Scale (MMDS)", Psychiatry Research 324 (2023) 115193.

Psychiatry research·2025

Same author

Different effects of cardiomyocyte contractile activity on transverse and axial tubular system luminal content dynamics.

Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology·2024

Same author

Prevalence of bacterial burden on macroscopic contaminants of orthopaedic surgical instruments following sterilization.

The Journal of hospital infection·2022

Same author

Operative efficiency: comparison of methods to optimize the use of chlorhexidine gluconate applicators.

The Journal of hospital infection·2021

Same author

Nano-scale morphology of cardiomyocyte t-tubule/sarcoplasmic reticulum junctions revealed by ultra-rapid high-pressure freezing and electron tomography.

Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology·2020

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Advanced Cardiac Rhythm Management by Applying Optogenetic Multi-Site Photostimulation in Murine Hearts

Advanced Cardiac Rhythm Management by Applying Optogenetic Multi-Site Photostimulation in Murine Hearts

Published on: August 26, 2021

Activation sequence as a key factor in spatio-temporal optimization of myocardial function.

O Solovyova¹, L B Katsnelson, P Konovalov

¹Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) 91 Pervomayskaya Street, Ekaterinburg 620219, Russia. o.solovyova@iip.uran.ru

Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences

|June 13, 2006

Summary

The sequence of cardiac muscle cell activation significantly impacts heart function organization. Matching activation timing with regional properties optimizes electro-mechanical performance, crucial for healthy myocardial function.

More Related Videos

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2^R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Published on: December 22, 2023

Real-Time Cardiac Mapping with a Noninvasive Imageless Electrocardiographic Imaging System

Real-Time Cardiac Mapping with a Noninvasive Imageless Electrocardiographic Imaging System

Published on: April 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Advanced Cardiac Rhythm Management by Applying Optogenetic Multi-Site Photostimulation in Murine Hearts

Advanced Cardiac Rhythm Management by Applying Optogenetic Multi-Site Photostimulation in Murine Hearts

Published on: August 26, 2021

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2^R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Published on: December 22, 2023

Real-Time Cardiac Mapping with a Noninvasive Imageless Electrocardiographic Imaging System

Real-Time Cardiac Mapping with a Noninvasive Imageless Electrocardiographic Imaging System

Published on: April 11, 2025

Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Physiology
Computational Biology
Biophysics

Background:

Cardiac function relies on coordinated electro-mechanical activity.
Understanding spatio-temporal organization is key to cardiac health.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of excitation sequence in cardiac electro-mechanical function.
To determine how activation timing influences myocardial organization.

Main Methods:

Utilized one-dimensional mathematical models of myocardial tissue.
Simulated chains of serially connected virtual ventricular muscle segments.
Incorporated verified models of cardiac electro-mechanical activity.

Main Results:

Non-simultaneous stimulation induced spatio-temporal heterogeneities in homogeneous chains.
Heterogeneous chains showed optimized function only when slower cells activated before faster ones.
Activation sequence influenced action potential duration and calcium handling.

Conclusions:

Cardiomyocyte activation sequence is a critical factor in myocardial spatio-temporal organization.
Optimal myocardial function requires matching activation sequences with regional electro-mechanical properties.