Article
Identifying the evolutionary building blocks of the cardiac conduction system.
PloS one - 1 Jan 2012
Jensen Bjarke, Boukens Bastiaan J D, Postma Alex V, Gunst Quinn D, van den Hoff Maurice J B, Moorman Antoon F M, Wang Tobias, Christoffels Vincent M
Abstract excerpt
The endothermic state of mammals and birds requires high heart rates to accommodate the high rates of oxygen consumption. These high heart rates are driven by very similar conduction systems consisting of an atrioventricular node that slows the electrical impulse and a His-Purkinje system that efficiently activates the ventricular chambers. While ectothermic vertebrates have similar contraction patterns, they do...
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