5/1/14 Chapter 13

Autorhymthical cell
Phase 1: Slowly to the threshold potential. It will lead to an AP activate.
What ion flows are affecting the slow depolarization phase? Increasing T-type Ca channels. Increase in
sodium permeability. Decrease in potassium permeability.
Membrane potential is due to the shifting of membrane permeability.
Sodium influx, calcium influx, makes the inside more positive. It will eventually reach the threshold.
Phase 2: there is an increase of Calcium L-type channels due to a fast depol.
Phase 3: repolarization due to increase in permeability of potassium.
All of your cardiac muscle cells are connected by gap junctions or intercalated discs. So even though
there is this one SA nodial cell. An AP is generated. Now if we start to follow the pathway to the AV
node, then are we going to generate an AP. If we look at the cells adjacent to the SA nodial cell and all
the contractile cells, this is now where the AP affects all the contractile cells around it to induce a
different waveform. In this case, the waveform can be modulated. This is to determine whether the
contractility is STRONG or WEAK. should your heart ever go into tetanus? No. it should always contract
and relax. The cardiac muscle cells are there to protect the heart from tetanus. It should never go into a
dangerous stimulation. Therefore, it has to be regulated.
If: increase the heartrate. ALL the adjustments occur in phase 1.
Why is phase 1 deplorizing quicker? We are increasing the permeability of T-type Ca channels. We are
increasing more sodium. We are decreasing potassium.
If decrease the heart. We decrease Ca channels. We decrease sodium. Increase potassium. We do the
opposite.
Our heart is not an involuntary muscle. Only one percent of your cardiac muscle cells are voluntary. If
you cut out all the involuntary muscles, SA node, AV node. The heart will just stop beating because of
the baseline. They do not have the slow deplo phase.
AP contractility in ventricular contraction
The threshold is almost instantaneous.
Phase 1: increase in sodium permeability (fast depol)
Phase 3: increase in potassium (fast repol)
Phase 2: increase calcium L type (plateau) stable baseline
Why is this waveform important? The black solid line is due to the electronic influx.
As this AP is going through the cardiac muscle cell. This muscle cell is going to keep tension development
and relaxation. The timeframe for this AP is the same as the contractile period.
COMPARE TO skeletal muscle.
If we look at a skeletal muscle