Clinical Significance
The role of the threshold potential has been implicated in a clinical context, namely in the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Since the 1940s, the concept of diastolic depolarization, or “pacemaker potential”, has become established; this mechanism is a characteristic distinctive of cardiac tissue. When the threshold is reached and the resulting action potential fires, a heartbeat results from the interactions; however, when this heartbeat occurs at an irregular time, a potentially serious condition known as arrythmia may result.
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