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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...

Conduction System of the Heart

Conduction System of the Heart

Autorhythmicity is a term that refers to the heart's inherent ability to generate electrical signals and instigate muscle contractions. This self-regulating conduction system within the heart consists of two key components: the pacemaker cells and specialized conducting cells.
The pacemaker cells are located in two primary nodes: the sinoatrial (SA) node and the atrioventricular (AV) node. The SA node pacemaker cells can autonomously depolarize, triggering an action potential that leads to the...

Conduction System of the Heart

Conduction System of the Heart

The cardiac conduction system produces and transmits electrical impulses that prompt myocardial contraction, ensuring efficient heart function. This intricate system ensures that the heart beats in a coordinated and efficient manner, beginning with the atria and then the ventricles. The conduction system optimizes cardiac output by maintaining this precise sequence, which is crucial for adequate blood circulation.
This system relies on the unique properties of nodal and Purkinje cells:...

Development of the Heart

Development of the Heart

The development of the human heart, a crucial organ, commences from the mesoderm on the 18th or 19th day after fertilization. This process initiates in the cardiogenic area, a group of mesodermal cells at the embryo's head end, which evolves into elongated strands known as cardiogenic cords. These cords undergo a transformation to form hollow-centered endocardial tubes.
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...

Fetal Circulation

Fetal Circulation

Fetal circulation is a unique system that facilitates the exchange of gases, nutrients, and waste products between the developing fetus and the mother. This intricate process takes place through a special organ called the placenta.
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...

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.

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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Preparation of Rhythmically-active In Vitro Neonatal Rodent Brainstem-spinal Cord and Thin Slice

Preparation of Rhythmically-active In Vitro Neonatal Rodent Brainstem-spinal Cord and Thin Slice

Published on: March 23, 2019

Prenatal development of central rhythm generation.

Jean Champagnat¹, Marie-Pierre Morin-Surun, Julien Bouvier

¹Neurobiologie et Développement (UPR 3294, CNRS), Neuro-Sud Paris (IFR 144), Centre de Recherche de Gif-sur Yvette (CNRS, FRC 3115), Gif-sur-Yvette, France. jean.champagnat@iaf.cnrs-gif.fr

Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology

|April 30, 2011

Summary

Prenatal development of mouse hindbrain oscillators, crucial for breathing, involves specific transcription factors. Their disruption causes severe respiratory abnormalities, supporting a dual-oscillator model for respiratory control.

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Spinal Cord Electrophysiology II: Extracellular Suction Electrode Fabrication

Spinal Cord Electrophysiology II: Extracellular Suction Electrode Fabrication

Published on: February 20, 2011

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Respiratory Physiology

Background:

Foetal breathing in mice originates from two coupled hindbrain oscillators: the pre-Bötzinger complex (preBötC) and the parafacial respiratory group (e-pF).
These oscillators are critical for respiratory rhythm generation post-birth.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of specific transcription factors in the development of prenatal respiratory oscillators.
To understand the consequences of mis-specifying these neural progenitors on respiratory function.

Main Methods:

Analysis of transcription factor roles (Hoxa1, Egr2, Phox2b, Lbx1, Atoh1, Dbx1, Evx1, Robo3) in neural progenitor specification.
Examination of breathing patterns following gene inactivation in mouse models.

Main Results:

Inactivation of key transcription factors leads to mis-specified neurons and distinct breathing defects, including apnea and loss of chemosensitivity (e-pF) or complete breathing loss (preBötC).
Robo3 mutants exhibit desynchronized breathing, while pontine region mutations alter inspiratory drive shape but not rhythm.
Primordial embryonic oscillators, active early in development, are silenced in foetuses to prevent interference with the respiratory rhythm.

Conclusions:

The functional organization of the respiratory generator is established early in development.
Evidence supports a dual-oscillator model for respiratory control, comprising two serially non-homologous oscillators specified during early development.