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geekymedics.com/the-hearts-conduction-system
This article will discuss the components of the heart’s conduction system including their
anatomy and clinical significance.
Both conducting and specialised muscle cells form the hearts conduction system and
orchestrate cardiac contraction. The electrical system is intrinsic to the heart meaning
that contraction can persist in the absence of neuronal input.
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Cardiac conduction system 3
The bundle of His is a collection of heart muscles cells specialised for electrical
conduction. These cells receive input from the AVN.1,4,5
The bundle of His branches into the left and right bundle branches which travel down
the interventricular septum.
Branches of the bundle of His propagate impulses to the left and right ventricles
respectively.
Each branch terminates as several Purkinje fibres.
Purkinje fibres
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Summary
Below is a summary of the key steps involved in the cardiac conduction cycle.
Artificial pacemakers are often used to regulate heart rate and rhythm in patients with
atrioventricular block and sinus node dysfunction.7
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Pacemaker 5
References
1. The University of Minnesota. Overview of Cardiac Conduction. Published in 2011.
[LINK].
2. Madhero88. Cardiac conduction system. Licence: CC BY-SA. Available from: [LINK]
3. OpenStax CNX. Cardiac Muscle and Electrical Activity. Published in 2014. [LINK].
4. Park D, Fishman G. The Cardiac Conduction System. Published in 2011. [LINK].
5. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. How the heart works. Published in 2011.
[LINK].
6. Kalumet. Heart’s conduction system. Licence: CC BY-SA. Available from: [LINK]
7. Dalia T, Amr S. Pacemaker Indications. Published in 2020. [LINK].
8. Clinical ECG Interpretation e-Book. Clinical electrocardiography and ECG
interpretation. [LINK].
9. Klabunde R. Normal Impulse Conduction. Published in 2012. [LINK].
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