Cardiac Action Potential

Cardiac Action Potential is a term used in Cardiology and Physiology to describe the process that initiates heartbeats and the propagation of electrical impulses in the heart muscle.

Pronunciation

Car-di-ac Ac-tion Po-ten-tial

Etymology

The term is derived from the Greek words "kardia" meaning heart, "actio" meaning act or process, and "potentialis" meaning power or capacity.

Definition

The Cardiac Action Potential is a short-lasting event in which the membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls. This event is primarily due to the activity of ion channels in the cell's membrane. In cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells, an action potential initiates a chain of events that lead to the contraction of the heart muscle.

Related Terms

• Cardiomyocytes
• Heartbeat
• Ion Channels
• Membrane Potential

See Also

• Electrophysiology
• Cardiac Cycle
• Cardiac Electrophysiology

References

• Cardiac Physiology
• Cardiology
• Physiology

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