Conducting System of Heart

CONDUCTING SYSTEM OF HEART
• It includes nodal tissues, bundles & fibres.

• Nodal tissues are specialized cardiac musculature prese in heart wall. They are 2 types:
• Sino-atrial node (SAN) in the right upper corner of the right atrium.
• Atrio-ventricular node (AVN) in the lower left corner of the right atrium close to the atrio-ventricular septum.
• From the AVN, a bundle of fibrous atrio-ventricular bundle (AV bundle) passes through atrio-ventricular septa
and divides into right & left branches. Each branch passes through the ventricular walls of its side. In the
ventricular wall, it breaks up into minute fibres (Purkinje fibres). These fibres along with the bundles are
known as bundle of His.
• Nodal tissues generate action potential without any external stimuli, i.e. it is autoexcitable.
• SAN initiates and maintains contraction of heart by generating action potentials (70-75/min). So, it is called
“the pacemaker”
• Contraction of heart is called systole and relaxation is called diastole. A systole and diastole together make
up one heart beat.
• Our heart normally beats 70-75 times per minute (average 72 times per minute)
CARDIAC CYCLE
• It is the cyclic contraction and relaxation of heart for pumping blood.
• It involves 3 stages:
1. Joint diastole: It is the relaxed state of all chambers of heart. When
the tricuspid and bicuspid valves open, blood from pulmonary vein and
vena cava flows into left & right ventricles respectively through left and
right atria. Semilunar valves are closed at this stage.
2. Atrial (Auricular) systole: SAN generates an action potential. As a
result, both the atria contract. It is called atrial systole. This increases
the flow of blood into the ventricles by about 30%.
• 3. Ventricular systole: The action potential is conducted to ventricular side by AVN & AV bundle from where
bundle of His transmits it through the ventricular musculature. As a result, ventricles contract. It is called
ventricular systole. During this, the atria undergo diastole. Ventricular systole increases the ventricular pressure
causing.Closure of tricuspid and bicuspid valves due to attempted backflow of blood into the atria. Semilunar valves
open. So deoxygenated blood enters the pulmonary artery from right ventricle and oxygenated blood enters the aorta
from left ventricle.
• The ventricles now relax (ventricular diastole) and the ventricular pressure falls causing
• The closure of the semilunar valves which prevents the backflow of blood into the ventricles.
• The tricuspid and bicuspid valves are opened by the pressure in the atria.
• The ventricles and atria again undergo joint diastole and the above processes are repeated.
• A cardiac cycle is completed in 0.8 seconds.

CARDIAC CYCLE
• The sequential event in the heart which is
cyclically repeated is called cardiac cycle
and it consists of systole and diastole of
both atria and ventricles
• The duration of cardiac cycle is 0.8 second.
• Cardiac cycle includes atrial systole (0.1
sec), ventricular systole (0.3 sec) and Joint
diastole (0.4 sec)
EVENTS DURING JOINT DIASTOLE
• At the beginning of cardiac cycle, all 4 chambers of the heart are in relaxed state. i.e.,
they are in joint diastole.
• The atrial pressure and ventricular pressure are minimum.
• Initially all heart valves (AV valves and semilunar valves) are closed.
• The atria receive blood from venacava and pulmonary vein (atrial filling) due to the
existence of a pressure gradient.
• The atrial pressure gradually increases and (AV valves) tricuspid and mitral valves open.
• Blood from the left & right atria flows into the left & right ventricles respectively
(ventricular filling). This is a passive process and about 70% of ventricular filling is
passive.
EVENTS DURING ATRIAL SYSTOLE
• The SAN now generates an action potential which stimulates both
atria to undergo a simultaneous contraction- atrial systole.
• Atrial pressure increases and the remaining 30% of blood actively flow
into ventricles.
EVENTS DURING VENTRICULAR SYSTOLE
• At the end of ventricular filling, both the ventricles contract simultaneously.

• The action potential generated by the AVN and conducted through the Purkinje fibres to ventricular
musculature causes this contraction.
• Ventricular systole increases the ventricular pressure causing the closure c tricuspid and bicuspid
valves.
• As the ventricular pressure increases further, the semilunar valves are force: open, allowing the blood
in the ventricles to flow through aorta and pulmonary artery.
 The ventricles now relax (Ventricular diastole) and the ventricular pressure falls causing .
 The closure of the semilunar valves which prevents the backflow of blood into the ventricles.
 The tricuspid and bicuspid valves are opened by the pressure in the atria. The ventricles and atria again undergo joint
diastole and the above processes are repeated. ( A new cycle begins)
• One heartbeat = a cardiac cycle.
• So, normal heartbeat: 70-75 times/min (average: 72/min)
• Stroke volume: It is the volume of blood pumped out by each
ventricle during a cardiac cycle. It is about 70 ml.
• Cardiac output: It is the volume of blood pumped out by each
ventricle per minute, i.e. stroke volume x heart rate (70 x 72). It
is about 5000 ml (5 litres). Cardiac output of an athlete is very
high.
HEART SOUNDS
• During each cardiac cycle two prominent sounds are produced that are heard
through a stethoscope
• The 1st heart sound (LUB) is associated with the closure of tricuspid & bicuspid
valves whereas the 2nd heart sound (DUB) is associated with the closure of
the semilunar valves.
• Lub is a low pitched sound of long duration whereas dub is a high pitched
sound of short duration.
• Lub sound is heard during ventricular systole; dub sound is heart at the
beginning of ventricular diastole.
• Heart murmurs are abnormal heart sounds which indicate a defective and
leaky valve and reverse blood flow.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH (ECG)
• It is an instrument used to obtain electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram is the graphical
representation of the electrical activity of the heart during a cardiac cycle.
• To get an ECG, a patient is connected to the machine with 3 electrical leads (one to each wrist
and to left ankle) that monitor heart activity.
• For a detailed evaluation of heart's function, multiple leads are attached to the chest region
• An ECG consists of the following waves:
• P-wave: Represents the excitation (depolarization) of atria which causes atrial systole.
• QRS-complex: Represents depolarization of ventricles (Ventricular systole).
• T-wave: Represents the repolarisation of ventricles.
• Deviation in the ECG indicates the abnormality or disease. So ECG has great clinical
significance

Conducting System of Heart

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CONDUCTING SYSTEM OF HEART

• It includes nodal tissues, bundles & fibres.

• A cardiac cycle is completed in 0.8 seconds.

• At the end of ventricular filling, both the ventricles contract simultaneously.

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