How the pacemaker transmits electrical impulses through the heart
Specialized cardiac muscle cells generate electrical impulses in the heart.
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Transcript
NARRATOR: Some cardiac muscle cells can generate and carry electricity better than others. They initiate and channel the dominant electrical impulse.
They form a kind of electrical wiring pattern throughout the cardiac muscle.
The largest concentration of these specialized cells is located in the right atrium. It's called the pacemaker.
It acts like a spark plug to begin each heartbeat, stimulating the muscles in the atria to contract, and setting off a second concentration of cells, which stimulates the ventricles to contract.
The electrical impulses from your heart can be detected on your skin by sensitive electrodes. These tiny electrical impulses are transmitted to an electrocardiograph machine.
They form a kind of electrical wiring pattern throughout the cardiac muscle.
The largest concentration of these specialized cells is located in the right atrium. It's called the pacemaker.
It acts like a spark plug to begin each heartbeat, stimulating the muscles in the atria to contract, and setting off a second concentration of cells, which stimulates the ventricles to contract.
The electrical impulses from your heart can be detected on your skin by sensitive electrodes. These tiny electrical impulses are transmitted to an electrocardiograph machine.