Frontiers of Biomedical Engineering

Lecture Details

Professor Saltzman talks about electrical conductivity in the heart that is, the generation and propagation of electrical potential in heart cells. He describes the role of ion channels and pumps in transporting sodium, potassium, and calcium ions to create action potential. This propagation of signal from the sinoatrial node through different tissues, which can be replaced by a pacemaker, eventually stimulates contraction of muscle fibers throughout the heart. Next, he describes the electrocardiograph and how each wave trace corresponds to the events caused by depolarizationrepolarization of different heart tissues.