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Med239 ECG
Ch 2 Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Action potential | The change in the electrical potential of the heart muscle when it is stimulated. |
| Aorta | The largest artery of the body; transferred to blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the entire body. |
| aortic semilunar valve | Valve located in the aorta that prevents the backflow of blood into the left ventricle. |
| atrioventricular (AV) node | Delays the electrical impulses to allow the atria to complete the contraction. |
| Atrium (pl. Atria) | The top two chambers of the heart. |
| Automaticity | The ability of the heart to initiate an electrical impulse without being stimulated by an independent source. |
| Bachmann's bundle | The structure that relays the electrical impulse from the SA node to the left atrium in a normal heart. |
| Bundle Branches | The left and right branches of the bundle of His that conduct impulses down either side of interventricular septum to the left and right ventricles. |
| Bundle of His (AV bundle) | Located next to the AV Node; provides the transfer of electrical impulse from the atria to the ventricles. |
| Cardiac cycle | Contraction and relaxation of the heart. |
| Chordae tendineae | Structures that connect the atrioventricular (Tricuspid and mitral) valve to the papillary muscles and prevent them from opening in the wrong direction. |
| Complexes | Atrial or Ventricular contractions as they appear on the ECG; complete ECG waveforms. |
| Conductivity | The ability of the heart cells to receive and transmit an electrical impulse. |
| Contractility | The contraction of the heart muscle cells produces the heartbeat or pumping of the heart. |
| Coronary Circulation | The ability of the heart muscles cells to shorten in response to an electrical stimulus. |
| Deoxygenated blood | Blood that has little to no oxygen. |
| Depolarization | The electrical activation of the cells of the hear that initiates contraction of the heart muscle. |
| Diastole | The phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart is expanding and refilling; also known as the relaxation phase. |
| Excitability | The ability of the heart muscles cells to respond to an impulse or stimulus; also called irritability. |
| Interatrial septum | A wall of tissue that separates the left and right atria of the heart. |
| Interval | The period of time between two activities within the heart. |
| Interventricular septum | A partition or wall (septum) that divides the right and left ventricles. |
| Ischemia | A sudden loss or reduction in blood supply (oxygen) to a region of the heart tissue. This occurs due to the presence of atherosclerotic plaque, blood clot, emboli, or even vascular spasm (Prinzmetal's angina) |
| Isoelectric line | The period when the electrical tracing of the ECG is at zero (0) or a straight line, and no positive or negative deflections are seen. |
| Left Atrium | The left upper chamber of the heart which receives blood from the lungs. |
| Left Ventricle | The right lower chamber of the heart which pumps blood to the lungs. |
| Mitral (bicuspid) valve | Valve with two cusps or leaflets located between the left atrium and left ventricle; it prevents backflow of blood into the left atrium. |
| Myocardial | Pertaining to the heart. |
| Oxygenated blood | Blood with oxygen. |
| Papillary Muscles | Muscles in the ventricles that anchor the chordae tendineae and atrioventricular valves. |
| Parasympathetic | The branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that helps to slow the heart rate. |
| Pericardium | A two-layered sac of tissue enclosing the heart. |
| Polarization | The state of cellular rest in which the inside is negatively charged and the outside is positively charged. |
| Pulmonary Artery | Large artery that transports deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. This is the only artery in the body that carries deoxygenated blood. |
| Pulmonary Circulation | The transportation of blood to and from the lungs; blood is oxygenated in the lungs during pulmonary circulation. |
| Pulmonary Semilunar valve | A valve found in the pulmonary artery that prevents backflow of blood into the right ventricle during pulmonary circulation. |
| Pulmonary Veins | Transport oxygenated blood back into the left atrium of the heart. These are the only veins in the body that carry oxygenated blood. |
| Purkinje fibers | The fibers within the heart that distribute electrical impulses from cell to cell throughout the ventricles. |
| Purkinje network | Spreads the electrical impulse throughout the ventricles by means of the Purkinje fibers. |
| Repolarization | is a state of cellular recovery that follows each contraction. |
| Right Atrium | The right upper chamber of the heart, which receives blood from the body. |
| Right Ventricle | The right lower chamber of the heart, which pumps blood to the lungs. |
| Segment | A portion or part of the electrical tracing produced by the heart. |
| Semilunar Valve | A valve with half-moon-shaped cusps that open and close, allowing blood to travel only one way; located in the pulmonary artery and the aorta. |
| Sinoatrial (SA) node | An area of specialized cells in the upper right atrium that initiates the heartbeat. |
| Sympathetic | The branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that causes an increase in the heart rate. |
| Systemic Circulation | The pathways for pumping blood throughout the body and back to the heart. |
| Systole | The contraction phase of the cardiac cycle, during which the heart is pumping blood out to the pulmonary (lungs) and systemic (body) circulation. |
| Tricuspid valve | Valve located between the right atrium and right ventricle; it prevents backflow of blood into the right atrium. |
| Vena Cava (pl. Venae Cavae) | Largest vein in the body, which provides a pathway for deoxygenated blood to return to the heart |