In electrocardiography, the cardiac action potential is a specialized action potential in the heart, necessary for the electrical conduction system of the heart.
The cardiac action potential differs significantly in different portions of the heart. This differentiation of the action potentials allows the different electrical characteristics of the different portions of the heart. For instance, the specialized conduction tissue of the heart has the special property of depolarizing without any external influence. This is known as cardiac muscle automaticity.
The electrical activity of the specialized conduction tissues are not apparent on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG - from German word). This is due to the relatively small mass of these tissues compared to the myocardium.
Read more about Cardiac Action Potential: Overview, Major Currents, Resting Membrane Potential, Phases of The Cardiac Action Potential, Automaticity
Famous quotes containing the words action and/or potential:
“It is funny that men who are supposed to be scientific cannot get themselves to realise the basic principle of physics, that action and reaction are equal and opposite, that when you persecute people you always rouse them to be strong and stronger.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“Democracy is timelessly human, and timelessness always implies a certain amount of potential youthfulness.”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)