Cardiac Action Potentials definitions Flashcards

Heart cells that set the rhythm through autorhythmicity, initiating action potentials without external signals.

Heart cells responsible for contraction and blood pumping, experiencing rapid depolarization and a plateau phase.

A phase where the cell's membrane potential becomes less negative, often due to sodium or calcium ion inflow.

The process of restoring the cell's membrane potential to a negative value after depolarization.

A phase in cardiac action potentials where depolarization is prolonged due to calcium inflow and potassium outflow.

The ability of pacemaker cells to generate action potentials independently, setting the heart's rhythm.

Positively charged ions that contribute to depolarization by entering the cell.

Positively charged ions that prolong depolarization in cardiac cells by entering the cell.

Positively charged ions that contribute to repolarization by exiting the cell.

A period during which cardiac cells cannot respond to new action potentials, ensuring relaxation.

The slow depolarization phase in pacemaker cells that initiates action potentials.

The system responsible for initiating and spreading action potentials throughout the heart.

Channels that allow action potentials to pass directly from one cardiac cell to another.

A unit of measurement for electrical potential used to describe changes in membrane potential.

The stable, negative membrane potential of a cell when it is not being stimulated.