DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

PROPERTIES OF THE HEART

DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
BLCMCRI
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

P5.2 Describe the properties

of cardiac muscle including its
MUST KNOW
morphology, electrical,
mechanical and metabolic
functions

1 List the special structural

characteristics of cardiac
muscle.
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

3.Describe the functional features of cardiac

muscle in relation to:
a) Excitability
MUST KNOW
b) Conductivity
c) Autorhythmicity
d) Contractility
e) Non-fatigability
f) All Or None Law
g) Refractory Period
h) Extrasystole And Compensatory Pause
i) Staircase Phenomenon
j) Frank Starling Law
4. Compare & contrast morphological and
functional properties of cardiac muscle against
skeletal & smooth muscles.
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

CARDIAC PROPERTIES MORPHOLOGICAL

CARDIAC MUSCLE
PROPERTIES OF
PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
METABOLIC
PROPERTIES
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

CARDIAC PROPERTIES MORPHOLOGICAL

CARDIAC MUSCLE
PROPERTIES OF
PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
METABOLIC
PROPERTIES
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MORPHOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES
1.GENERAL FEATURES

2.LIGHT MICROSCOPIC FEATURES

3.ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC FEATURES

4. SARCOTUBULAR SYSTEM
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MORPHOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MORPHOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES
1.GENERAL FEATURES

I. Involuntary Striated
II. Intercalated discs
III.Gap Junctions
IV.Functional Syncitium : Atrial & Ventricular
Syncitium
V. Highly Vascular
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MORPHOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES
2.LIGHT MICROSCOPIC FEATURES

1.Sarcomere & it’s Features

2. Contractile Unit
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MORPHOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES
3.ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC FEATURES

I. Thick & Thin Filaments

II.Tropomyosin
III.Troponin
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MORPHOLOGICAL
PROPERTIES
4. SARCOTUBULAR SYSTEM

A.T system penetrates the

Sarcomere at Z line.
B. Hence Cardiac Muscle has
just one Triad per Sarcomere
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

CARDIAC PROPERTIES MORPHOLOGICAL

CARDIAC MUSCLE
PROPERTIES OF
PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
METABOLIC
PROPERTIES
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

METABOLIC
PROPERTIES
• Blood Supply of Myocardium is 80ml/100gm/min
1 • Blood Supply of Sk Muscle is 3 ml/100gm/min

• Numerous Mitochondria
2 • High Content Of Myoglobin

• Heart Normally works under Aerobic metaobolism

3 • Less Than 1% by anaerobic

• Under Basal Condition Heart gets 60% energy by fats,

4 35% by Carbohydrates
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

CARDIAC PROPERTIES MORPHOLOGICAL

CARDIAC MUSCLE
PROPERTIES OF
PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
METABOLIC
PROPERTIES
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
1.AUTORYTHMICITY

2.EXCITABILITY

3.CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

AUTORHYTHMICITY

SPECIALISED CONTRACTILE
CARDIAC TISSUE CARDIAC TISSUE

SA NODE ATRIA

AV NODE VENTRICLES

PURKINJE
FIBRES
 ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

AUTORHYTHMICITY

The property of the cardiac muscle to generate its own impulses without any
external stimuli at regular rhythmic intervals is called as Autorythmicity.

Autorythmicity seen in
1. SA Node
2. AV Node
3. Purkinje Fibres
4. Ectopic Ventricular Tissues

primary pacemaker of the heart.

 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXCITABILITY (BATHMOTROPISM)

Excitability is the ability of the cardiac

muscle to respond to different stimuli.

IONS
HORMONES
Sympathetic Stimulation = Positive Bathmotropic
Parasympathetic Stimulation = Negative Bathmotropic
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXCITABILITY (BATHMOTROPISM)

Excitability is the
ability of the
cardiac muscle to
respond to
different stimuli.
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
CONDUCTIVITY
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES-
Conductivity
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

CARDIAC PROPERTIES MORPHOLOGICAL

CARDIAC MUSCLE
PROPERTIES OF
PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL
PROPERTIES
MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
METABOLIC
PROPERTIES
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES
5.FRANK STARLING’S
1.CONTRACTILITY LAW

2.ALL OR NONE LAW 6.EXTRASYSTOLE

3.REFRACTORY 7. COMPENSATORY
PERIOD PAUSE

4.STAIRCASE EFFECT 8. NON FATIGABILITY

 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
CONTRACTILITY- IONOTROPY
Cardiac muscle contracts regularly and rhythmically
in response to impulses generated by the SA node.

Ventricular contraction enables heart to pump blood

into the circulation.

Thus, increased contractility increases cardiac output

and decreased contractility decreases cardiac
output.
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
CONTRACTILITY- IONOTROPY
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

ALL OR NONE LAW

 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
ALL OR NONE LAW
The all or none law states that
“The magnitude of response of a tissue to stimuli
remains same irrespective of the strength of stimuli”

Subthreshold strength - No response

Threshold intensity - Optimum response.
Suprathreshold Stimulus - The height of
contraction does not increase

.
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
ALL OR NONE LAW
The all or none law states that
“The magnitude of response of a tissue to stimuli
remains same irrespective of the strength of stimuli”

MECHANISMS: Two Reasons

i) All or none nature of the action potential

. ii) Syncytial nature of the heart muscle

 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
STAIRCASE PHENONOMENON

If a quiescent heart,
Is stimulated repeatedly ( within 10 seconds).
The magnitude of first 3–4 contractions progressively increases.
This is called staircase phenomenon.
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
STAIRCASE PHENONOMENON

REASONS:
1. Calcium released is not completely pumped back into SR
2. First Contraction:Tempearture increases and thus increases the
enzymatic activity
3. First Contraction: Decreases The viscosity
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
Refractory Period
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
Refractory Period
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
NON FATIGUABILITY

LONG REFRACTORY PERIOD

RICH BLOOD SUPPLY

AEROBIC METABOLISM

RICH IN MITOCHONDRIA
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
EXTRASYSTOLE

When a STRONGER STIMULUS is applied in the

relative refractory period,
an EXTRA CONTRACTILE RESPONSE occurs. This is
called EXTRASYSTOLE.

This contraction occurs earlier than the normally

expected one.
Usually, the extra-stimulus arises from an ectopic focus
in the ventricle.
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
COMPENSATORY PAUSE

The natural stimulus (impulse arising from the

SA node) falls in the refractory period of the
extrasystole and does not evoke a response.

Therefore, the natural contraction is missed and

long pause is recorded following the
extrasystole, which is called compensatory
pause
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
COMPENSATORY PAUSE
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
FRANK STARLING’S LAW
The force of contraction is directly proportional to
the initial length of the muscle fiber, within the
physiological limit, which is known as the
Frank-Starlings Law of the heart.

The Initial length of muscle fiber depends on the

level of PRELOAD , which is the END-DIASTOLIC
VOLUME.

THE FRANK STARLING LAW OF HEART STATES THAT

“Within physiological limits, The Force of contraction is
directly proportional to its End Diastolic Volume”
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
FRANK STARLING’S LAW

SHORT SARCOMERE

OPTIMAL LENGTH SARCOMERE

LONG SARCOMERE
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
LENGTH TENSION RELATIONSHIP

Tension (Pressure in mmHg)

END DIASTOLIC VOLUME in ml (Length)

 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
FRANK STARLING’S LAW
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
FRANK STARLING’S LAW
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
FRANK STARLING’S LAW
 DR JYOTHI VYBHAVI

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES-
FRANK STARLING’S LAW