Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Conduction System of the Heart01:19

Conduction System of the Heart

17.4K
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...
17.4K
Conduction System of the Heart01:20

Conduction System of the Heart

5.8K
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:...
5.8K
Oscillations In An LC Circuit01:30

Oscillations In An LC Circuit

3.5K
An idealized LC circuit of zero resistance can oscillate without any source of emf by shifting the energy stored in the circuit between the electric and magnetic fields. In such an LC circuit, if the capacitor contains a charge q before the switch is closed, then all the energy of the circuit is initially stored in the electric field of the capacitor. This energy is given by
3.5K
RLC Circuit as a Damped Oscillator01:30

RLC Circuit as a Damped Oscillator

2.7K
An RLC circuit combines a resistor, inductor, and capacitor, connected in a series or parallel combination.
Consider a series RLC circuit. Here, the presence of resistance in the circuit leads to energy loss due to joule heating in the resistance. Therefore, the total electromagnetic energy in the circuit is no longer constant and decreases with time. Since the magnitude of charge, current, and potential difference continuously decreases, their oscillations are said to be damped. This is...
2.7K
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation02:19

Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation

4.7K
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
4.7K
Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias01:28

Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias

2.7K
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.
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Cardiac Pacemaker Cells Harness Stochastic Resonance to Avoid Sinus Arrest.

Circulation research·2026
Same author

Emergence of heartbeat frailty in advanced age II: individual cardiovascular aging trajectories revealed by lifelong echocardiography in male mice.

GeroScience·2026
Same author

cAMP-Activated EPAC Signaling Is an Integral Component of Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Automaticity.

Circulation. Arrhythmia and electrophysiology·2026
Same author

Cardiac Pacemaker Cells Harness Stochastic Resonance to Ensure Fail-Safe Operation at Low Rates Bordering on Sinus Arrest.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

A new Fight-or-Flight Pacemaker Mechanism via Ryanodine Receptor abundance and superclustering.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Modifies the Impact of Glucose on Arterial Aging in A Sex-Specific Manner.

Journal of the American Heart Association·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts
06:31

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts

Published on: September 27, 2018

8.7K

From two competing oscillators to one coupled-clock pacemaker cell system.

Yael Yaniv1, Edward G Lakatta2, Victor A Maltsev2

  • 1Biomedical Engineering Faculty, Technion-IIT Haifa, Israel.

Frontiers in Physiology
|March 6, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Heart pacemaker cells ignite action potentials (APs) through a coupled-clock mechanism. The sarcoplasmic reticulum

Keywords:
arrhythmiascoupled-clock pacemaker systemheart rate variabilitymathematical modelingsinoatrial node

More Related Videos

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection
08:52

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection

Published on: February 17, 2015

10.2K
Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy As a Chronic Heart Failure Model in Swine
10:08

Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy As a Chronic Heart Failure Model in Swine

Published on: February 17, 2018

14.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts
06:31

Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts

Published on: September 27, 2018

8.7K
Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection
08:52

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection

Published on: February 17, 2015

10.2K
Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy As a Chronic Heart Failure Model in Swine
10:08

Tachycardia-Induced Cardiomyopathy As a Chronic Heart Failure Model in Swine

Published on: February 17, 2018

14.1K

Area of Science:

  • Electrophysiology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Historically, surface membrane ion channels (M-clock) were believed to solely control pacemaker cell action potential (AP) generation.
  • Recent research highlights the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) as a 'Ca(2+)-clock', rhythmically releasing calcium (Ca(2+)) during diastole.
  • These diastolic Ca(2+) releases (LCRs) activate inward currents, prompting M-clock activity to ignite APs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evolution of the coupled-clock concept in cardiac pacemaker cells.
  • To explore how intrinsic pacemaker cell mechanisms regulate heart rate and rhythm.
  • To discuss future directions for the coupled-clock pacemaker cell model.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental evidence from mammalian studies.
  • Analysis of theoretical and numerical modeling approaches.
  • Synthesis of data on coupled-clock mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • The coupled-clock model, involving crosstalk between the SR's Ca(2+)-clock and the M-clock, is essential for AP generation.
  • This crosstalk operates beat-to-beat, dictating both the rate and rhythm of cardiac pacemakers.
  • Evidence supports the SR's role in initiating APs via LCRs.

Conclusions:

  • The coupled-clock concept provides a comprehensive framework for understanding pacemaker cell function.
  • Intrinsic pacemaker cell mechanisms are crucial for determining heart rate and rhythm.
  • Further development of the coupled-clock model is warranted.