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Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...

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

Propagation of Action Potentials

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...

Graded Potential

Graded Potential

Graded potentials are localized fluctuations in the cell membrane's electrical charge, commonly found in the dendrites of neurons. The magnitude of these potential changes depends on the strength of the initiating stimulus. In a membrane at its resting potential, a graded potential signifies a voltage shift either above -70 mV or below -70 mV.
Graded potentials fall into two categories: depolarizing and hyperpolarizing. Depolarizing graded potentials typically occur when sodium (Na+) or calcium...

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...

Resting Potential Decay

Resting Potential Decay

The resting membrane potential of a neuron (-70mV) is sustained due to the selective ion permeability of the membrane. At the resting potential, the membrane is slightly permeable to ions like sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−) and highly permeable to potassium ions (K+). Differences in the ions' concentration inside the cell compared to the outside are maintained by membrane transport proteins like channels and pumps.
At rest, the K+ is the main ion that moves across the membrane through...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

Ablation of Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia Using a Multipolar Catheter and 3-dimensional Mapping System for High-density Electro-anatomical Reconstruction

Ablation of Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia Using a Multipolar Catheter and 3-dimensional Mapping System for High-density Electro-anatomical Reconstruction

Published on: January 31, 2019

Ablation, percolation, and afterdepolarization.

Daisuke Sato¹, Donald M Bers¹

¹Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.

Biophysical Journal

|May 15, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cardiac ablation success depends on cell excitability. This study theorizes the minimum ablation needed to block reentrant and focal arrhythmias by controlling excitable cell fractions below the percolation threshold.

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Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

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Last Updated: May 16, 2026

Ablation of Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia Using a Multipolar Catheter and 3-dimensional Mapping System for High-density Electro-anatomical Reconstruction

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Published on: January 31, 2019

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Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Robotic Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: May 29, 2015

Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Science
Biophysics
Computational Biology

Background:

Cardiac ablation aims to eliminate excitable cells to prevent arrhythmias.
Incomplete ablation can lead to persistent or recurrent arrhythmias.
Understanding the critical cell fraction for ablation success is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a theoretical model predicting the minimum number of ablated cells for arrhythmia suppression.
To define the role of excitable cell fraction in relation to the percolation threshold for ablation efficacy.
To analyze the impact of ablation on reentrant and focal arrhythmias, including triggered activities.

Main Methods:

Theoretical modeling of excitable and non-excitable cell mixtures.
Application of percolation theory to predict wave propagation thresholds.
Analysis of action potential propagation and triggered activity initiation dynamics.

Main Results:

Ablation efficacy is determined by the fraction of excitable cells, which must remain below the percolation threshold to block wave propagation.
For reentrant arrhythmias, maintaining excitable cells below the percolation threshold prevents wave propagation.
For focal arrhythmias, ablation below the percolation threshold suppresses triggered activities, while maximum PVC propensity occurs at the threshold.

Conclusions:

The percolation threshold is a critical parameter for successful cardiac ablation.
Theoretical predictions can guide ablation strategies to optimize arrhythmia suppression.
These principles may extend to other conditions involving excitable tissue interspersed with non-excitable regions.