Terms to Learn Flashcards
(24 cards)
efflux
flowing out of substance or particle
bundle of his
part of the electrical conduction system of the heart
Purkinje fibres
specialised conducting fibres composed of electrically excitable cells
myocytes
the cells within the heart tissue that generate the tiny electrical impulses that cause the heart muscles to contract
vagal tone
activity of vagus nerve
epicardium
inner layer of pericardium
pericardium
membrane enclosing the heart
automaticity
ability to do things without thinking
HCN channels
hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide–gated channels
contractility
inherent strength and vigour of the heart’s contraction during systole
inotropic
modifying the force or speed of contraction of muscles
dromotropic
effects conduction speed in AV and therefore rate of electrical impulses in the heart
sarcoplasmic reticulum
membrane-bound structure found within muscle cells that is similar to the endoplasmic reticulum
plateau phase
phase 2 of action potentials
intrinsic
within heart muscle itself
extrinsic
nervous and hormonal control
lub
1st heart sound
dub
2nd heart sound
vasculature
the vascular system of a part of the body and its arrangement
sheer stress
force that causes layers or parts to side on top of one another in opposite directions
hyperaemia
excess of blood in the vessels supplying an organ or other part of the body
osmolality
concentration of all solutes in a given weight of water
thrombus
blood clot that forms and stays in a vessel
atheroma
abnormal build up of material in the inner layer of an artery
