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

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...

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...

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.

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

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...

The Cardiac Cycle

The Cardiac Cycle

The heart beats rhythmically in a sequence called the cardiac cycle—a rapid coordination of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).
The Process
Electrical signals—sent from the sinoatrial (SA) node in the right atrial wall to the atrioventricular (AV) node between the right atrium and right ventricle—cause both atria to simultaneously contract. When the signal reaches the AV node, it pauses for approximately a tenth of a second, allowing the atria to contract and...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Comorbid Hypertension Reduces the Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmia in Chronic Heart Failure Patients with Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators.

Journal of clinical medicine·2022

Same author

Spatial Distribution of Idiopathic Ventricular Arrhythmias Originating Around the Pulmonary Root: Lessons From Intracardiac Echocardiography.

JACC. Clinical electrophysiology·2022

Same author

Cell migration inducing hyaluronidase 1 promotes growth and metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Bioengineered·2022

Same author

A large-scale population based organelle pan-genomes construction and phylogeny analysis reveal the genetic diversity and the evolutionary origins of chloroplast and mitochondrion in Brassica napus L.

BMC genomics·2022

Same author

Prediction Efficiency of MADIT-ICD Benefit Score for Outcome in Asian Patients with Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator.

International journal of general medicine·2022

Same author

Integrated strategies for increasing rapeseed yield.

Trends in plant science·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2025

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

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

Published on: February 17, 2015

Will the symbiotic pacemaker, a self-powered cardiac implanted electronic device, be the next evolution in pacemaker

Yiran Hu¹, Wei Hua¹

¹The Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Clinical Research Center of Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.

Science Bulletin

|January 20, 2023

Summary

No abstract available in PubMed .

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: February 17, 2018

Translational Rabbit Model of Chronic Cardiac Pacing

Translational Rabbit Model of Chronic Cardiac Pacing

Published on: January 6, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 13, 2025

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

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

Published on: February 17, 2015

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

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

Published on: February 17, 2018

Translational Rabbit Model of Chronic Cardiac Pacing

Translational Rabbit Model of Chronic Cardiac Pacing

Published on: January 6, 2023