The cardiac conduction system

Abstract

The intrinsic conduction system of the heart is comprised of several specialized subpopulations of cells that either spontaneously generate electrical activity (pacemaker cells) or preferentially conduct this activity throughout the chambers in a coordinated fashion. This chapter will discuss the details of this known anatomy as well as put such discoveries into a historical context. The cardiac action potential underlies signaling within the heart, and the various populations of myocytes will elicit signature waveforms. The recording or active sensing of these potentials is important in both research and clinical arenas. This chapter aims to present a basic understanding of the cardiac conduction system to provide the reader with a foundation for future research and reading on this topic. The information in this chapter is not comprehensive and should not be used to make decisions relating to patient care.