x

Myogenic heartbeat and the pacemaker

Myogenic heartbeat and the pacemaker

Cross-sectional diagram of the human heart showing the SAN in the right atrium, AVN, non-conducting fibrous tissue, bundle of His, Purkyne tissue, and arrows for the wave of excitation

Cardiac muscle is myogenic, which means contraction starts from within the muscle itself rather than from a motor neurone. If different heart cells were left uncoordinated, they would contract at different times and pumping would be inefficient.

Control of heart rate (A-level only) Lesson

  1. A Level
  2. /Biology
  3. /Control of heart rate (A-level only)