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Depolarization occurs in the four chambers of the heart: both atria first, and then both ventricles. The sinoatrial (SA) node on the wall of the right atrium initiates depolarization in the right and left atria, causing contraction, which corresponds to the P wave on an electrocardiogram.
Electrical waves track a systole (a contraction) of the heart. The end-point of the P wave depolarization is the start-point of the atrial stage of systole. The ventricular stage of systole begins at the R peak of the QRS wave complex; the T wave indicates the end of ventricular contraction, after which ventricular relaxation (ventricular diastole) begins.
The P wave is a summation wave generated by the depolarization front as it transits the atria. Normally the right atrium depolarizes slightly earlier than left atrium since the depolarization wave originates in the sinoatrial node, in the high right atrium and then travels to and through the left atrium.
Depolarization propagates through cardiac muscle very rapidly. Cells of the ventricles contract nearly simultaneously. The action potentials of cardiac muscle are unusually sustained. This prevents premature relaxation, maintaining initial contraction until the entire myocardium has had time to depolarize and contract. Absence of tetany.
Contraction of the atria follows depolarization, represented by the P wave of the ECG. As the atrial muscles contract from the superior portion of the atria toward the atrioventricular septum, pressure rises within the atria and blood is pumped into the ventricles through the open atrioventricular (tricuspid, and mitral or bicuspid) valves.
These cells will be initiating action potentials and contraction at a much lower rate than the primary or secondary pacemaker cells. The SA node controls the rate of contraction for the entire heart muscle because its cells have the quickest rate of spontaneous depolarization, thus they initiate action potentials the quickest.
The isovolumetric contraction phase lasts about 0.05 seconds, [1] but this short period of time is enough to build up a sufficiently high pressure that eventually overcomes that of the aorta and the pulmonary artery upon opening of the semilunar valves. This process, therefore, helps maintain the correct unidirectional flow of blood through the ...
Then, prompted by electrical signals from the sinoatrial node, the ventricles start contracting (ventricular systole), and as back-pressure against them increases the AV valves are forced to close, which stops the blood volumes in the ventricles from flowing in or out; this is known as the isovolumic contraction stage.