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It has to do with what types of channels are open during this phase. In the repolarization phase the number of potassium channels are increased and the number of sodium channels are decreased. This allows for action potentials to not occur. Otherwise, the action potentials would add up and produce tetany.
A neuron (nerve cell) receives dendritic input in order to generate action potentials to transmit signals of the same. After the action potential triggers release of neurotransmitters in the axonal terminal of that neuron, those neurotransmitters propagate the signal forward to the next neuron, and so forth.
The reason why cardiac muscle has a longer action potential is to extend the absolute refractory period to prevent another action potential. If too many action potentials stimulate the cardiac muscle it can get into tetanus which keeps the heart continuously contracted without relaxation.
Action potentials also known as spikes, differ from graded potentials in that they do not diminish in strength as they travel through the neuron.
initial segment
The SA node is the "pacemaker" of the heart. Cells in the SA node are called "pacemaker" cells and they direct the contraction rate of the entire heart by generating action potentials.
Pacemaker potentials are automatic potentials generated and are exclusively seen in the heart. They arise from the natural "leakiness" of the membrane that pacemaker cells have, resulting in passive movement of both Na+ and Ca2+ across the membrane, rising the membrane potential to about -40mV. This results in a spontaneous depolarization of the muscle that has a rise in the curve that is nowhere near as steep as the action potential of other cells. Upon depolarization, the cell will return back to its resting membrane voltage, and continue the potential again.
would decrease the heart rate, because the pacemaker cells would generate fewer action potentials per minute
It has to do with what types of channels are open during this phase. In the repolarization phase the number of potassium channels are increased and the number of sodium channels are decreased. This allows for action potentials to not occur. Otherwise, the action potentials would add up and produce tetany.
A neuron (nerve cell) receives dendritic input in order to generate action potentials to transmit signals of the same. After the action potential triggers release of neurotransmitters in the axonal terminal of that neuron, those neurotransmitters propagate the signal forward to the next neuron, and so forth.
action potentials are non-decremental and do not get weaker with distance.
all stimuli great enough to bring the membrane to threshold will produce identical action potentials. :)
The reason why cardiac muscle has a longer action potential is to extend the absolute refractory period to prevent another action potential. If too many action potentials stimulate the cardiac muscle it can get into tetanus which keeps the heart continuously contracted without relaxation.
action potentials, ionic currents, the force of contraction and ionic currents and action potentials only
The pacemaker is known as the SA node (sinotrial) and it generates action potentials to the AV node and then to the bundle of his down to the purkinje fibers. The branching of cardiac muscle tissue and the intercalated discs allow action potentials to propagate to other cardiac mt cells. The autorhythmicity of the heart is attributed to the fact that it creates its own action potentials from the SA node and can be generated independently from the rest of the body. The heart's autorhythmicity also prevents it from reaching tetanus (like a skeletal muscle does), because myocardial tissue only allows a certain amount of action potentials through before it reaches its absolute refractory period when it comes to a plateau and after the wave drops again and gets hit with another action potential it has already rested.
Action potentials also known as spikes, differ from graded potentials in that they do not diminish in strength as they travel through the neuron.
action potentials