{"id":7413,"date":"2023-06-16T11:24:33","date_gmt":"2023-06-16T10:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/?page_id=7413"},"modified":"2025-03-21T13:20:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:20:23","slug":"your-hearts-electrical-system","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/your-hearts-electrical-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Your hearts electrical system"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"7413\" class=\"elementor elementor-7413\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c9274fa elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c9274fa\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-49ce012\" data-id=\"49ce012\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66160bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66160bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5>Your heart: The basics<\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e42da79 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e42da79\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Your heart's electrical system<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4f52799\" data-id=\"4f52799\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-56608b28 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"56608b28\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-56612cb7\" data-id=\"56612cb7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-768dae1a elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"768dae1a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d1b1c99 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d1b1c99\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What makes your heart beat?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-bf12f97 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"bf12f97\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4e6f7c0\" data-id=\"4e6f7c0\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7fe53f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7fe53f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your heart is controlled by electrical signals that tell its muscles when to contract and when to relax.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p>Each pulse begins in the right atrium at the sino-atrial (SA) node. The SA node functions like a pacemaker, controlling your sinus rhythm (your heart\u2019s natural rhythm) and keeping your heart beating steadily and regularly.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c30af elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"28c30af\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Your heart&#8217;s electrical system<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-25d1ee6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"25d1ee6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe \n    width=\"400\" \n    height=\"550\"\n    data-static=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/stats\/a\/electrical.gif\"\n    data-animated=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/anims\/a_003\/electrical.html\"\n    src=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/stats\/a\/electrical.gif\"\n    frameborder=\"0\" \n    title=\"animation of a beating heart\">\n<\/iframe>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c49857e\" data-id=\"c49857e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1ab1c3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f1ab1c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.7px;\">The electrical pulse passes from the SA node through the heart to another node called the atrioventricular (AV) node, and then on down into the ventricles, causing them to contract.<\/span><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A normal pulse rate is 60 &#8211; 100 beats per minute. Of course, your heart will beat faster than that when you\u2019re exercising or stressed and slower when you\u2019re asleep.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The heart\u2019s electrical activity can be measured and recorded using a machine called an electrocardiogram (an ECG or EKG &#8211; both abbreviations are commonly used).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0af2978 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0af2978\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Normal ECG<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a96ef4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"1a96ef4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe \n    width=\"400\" \n    height=\"75\"\n    data-static=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/stats\/a\/a_002_001.gif\"\n    data-animated=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/anims\/002\/a_002_001.html\"\n    src=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/stats\/a\/a_002_001.gif\"\n    frameborder=\"0\" \n    title=\"animation of a beating heart\">\n<\/iframe>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f5fa365 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f5fa365\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An ECG produces a \u201ctracing\u201d, like the one above, that shows how your heart is behaving, and this can be used to diagnose heart disorders.<\/span><\/p><p>To learn more about how the heart pumps blood around your body, take a look at <a href=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/how-your-heart-pumps\/\">How your heart pumps<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0455368 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0455368\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f4d3242\" data-id=\"f4d3242\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2cdfc5b elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"2cdfc5b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5cef2b0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5cef2b0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>A single heartbeat: Electrical pulses and an ECG<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5c9bf34 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5c9bf34\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3989f98\" data-id=\"3989f98\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2849c69 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2849c69\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get an understanding of how the heart\u2019s electrical system works it\u2019s easiest to look at just one heartbeat.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The animation below shows how the electrical pulses flow from the SA node, which is up in the right atrium, down through the heart and all the way to the ventricles.\u00a0 In the inset box, we show the corresponding ECG tracing.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-099665c elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"099665c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Your heart in a single beat<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75bf370 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"75bf370\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<iframe \n    width=\"400\" \n    height=550\n    data-static=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/stats\/a\/a_003_001.gif\"\n    data-animated=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/anims\/a_003\/a_003_001.html\"\n    src=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/stats\/a\/a_003_001.gif\"\n    frameborder=\"0\" \n    title=\"animation of a beating heart\">\n<\/iframe>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-aad1b94\" data-id=\"aad1b94\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-af9c0a4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"af9c0a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ECG line is broken down into a series of points: P, Q, R, S, and T.\u00a0 Each point represents a phase of the electrical pulse and each phase produces a different physical reaction in the muscles of the heart.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking at our single heartbeat, this is what happens:<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <strong>P-wave<\/strong> causes the atria to contract and push blood down into the ventricles.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then the <strong>Q-wave, R-wave, and S-wave<\/strong>, combined (the \u201cQRS complex\u201d), trigger the contraction of the ventricles, and this pushes blood out and around the body (from the left ventricle) and to the lungs (from the right ventricle).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, the <strong>T-wave<\/strong> neutralizes the charge held in the cells and allows the muscles to relax, ready for the next heartbeat.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.7px;\">To learn more about how the heart pumps blood around your body, take a look at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/how-your-heart-pumps\/\">How your heart pumps<\/a>.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your heart: The basics Your heart&#8217;s electrical system What makes your heart beat? Your heart is controlled by electrical signals that tell its muscles when to contract and when to relax.\u00a0 Each pulse begins in the right atrium at the sino-atrial (SA) node. The SA node functions like a pacemaker, controlling your sinus rhythm (your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7413","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7413"}],"version-history":[{"count":214,"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7413\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16987,"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7413\/revisions\/16987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}