GENERAL ANATOMY
ANATOMY OF THE HEART
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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atrioventricular (AV) node
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bundles of His
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Purkinje fibers
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sinoatrial (SA) node
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Detailed explanation-1: -The SA node starts the sequence by causing the atrial muscles to contract. That’s why doctors sometimes call it the anatomical pacemaker. Next, the signal travels to the AV node, through the bundle of HIS, down the bundle branches, and through the Purkinje fibers, causing the ventricles to contract.
Detailed explanation-2: -The sinus node is sometimes called the heart’s “natural pacemaker.” Each time the sinus node generates a new electrical impulse; that impulse spreads out through the heart’s upper chambers, called the right atrium and the left atrium (figure 2).
Detailed explanation-3: -The SA (sinoatrial) node generates an electrical signal that causes the upper heart chambers (atria) to contract. The signal then passes through the AV (atrioventricular) node to the lower heart chambers (ventricles), causing them to contract, or pump. The SA node is considered the pacemaker of the heart.
Detailed explanation-4: -The sinus node continuously generates electrical impulses, thereby setting the normal rhythm and rate in a healthy heart. Hence, the SA node is referred to as the natural pacemaker of the heart.