Name: PhysEX 06-01

Exercise 6: Cardiovascular Physiology: Activity 1: Investigating the Refractory Period of Cardiac Muscle Lab Report

Pre-lab Quiz Results

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Experiment Results
Predict Question:
Predict Question 1: When you increase the frequency of the stimulation, what do you think will happen to the amplitude
(height) of the ventricular systole wave?
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Predict Question 2: If you deliver multiple stimuli (20 stimuli per second) to the heart, what do you think will happen?
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Stop & Think Questions:

1. Watch the contractile activity from the frog heart on the oscilloscope.

Enter the number of ventricular contractions per minute (from the heart rate display) in the field below and then click
Submit Data to record your answer in the lab report.
You answered: 61 beats/min

Which of the following statements about the contractile activity is true?

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Correct answer: a. The smaller waves represent the contraction of the atria.

During which portion of the cardiac muscle contraction is it possible to induce an extrasystole?
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Correct answer: d. during relaxation

Experiment Data:

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Post-lab Quiz Results
You scored 50% by answering 2 out of 4 questions correctly.

1. The amplitude of the ventricular systole did not change with the more frequent stimulation because
You correctly answered: a. a new contraction could not begin until the relaxation phase

2. Which of the following do you think contribute to the inability of cardiac muscle to be tetanized?
You correctly answered: a. the long refractory period of the cardiac action potential

3. Given the function of the heart, why is it important that cardiac muscle cannot reach tetanus?
Your answer: a. The heart might contract with too much force.
Correct answer: b. The ventricles must contract and relax fully with each beat to pump blood.

4. An extrasystole corresponds to
Your answer: a. an extra atrial contraction.
Correct answer: c. an extra ventricular contraction.

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Review Sheet Results
1. Explain why the larger waves seen on the oscilloscope represent the ventricular contraction.
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2. Explain why the amplitude of the wave did not change when you increased the frequency of the stimulation. (Hint: relate
your response to the refractory period of the cardiac action potential.) How well did the results compare with your
prediction?
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3. Why is it only possible to induce an extrasystole during relaxation?

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4. Explain why wave summation and tetanus are not possible in cardiac muscle tissue. How well did the results compare
with your prediction?
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