Phases of Cardiac Electrical Activity

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Phase 0 is the phase of a stable resting potential, when the cells are polarized and in an excitable state awaiting a stimulus which will cause depolarization. When a stimulus above the threshold potential strikes the cell the cell begins to depolarize. Sodium ions rush into the cell causing the electrochemical difference potential between the inside and outside of the cell to race toward zero.

During Phase 1, the depolarization phase, the electrochemical voltage change is so rapid that the voltage overshoots the zero potential and tops out around +20mV. Phase 1 is a very short phase where the potential difference comes to rest near 0mV.

Phase 2, referred to as the plateau phase, is where the transmembrane action potential is maintained near 0mV by the infusion of calcium ions. The cell is in a depolarized state and restoration of the resting membrane potential is beginning to take place. At the end of this phase, the cell begins to repolarize.

Phase 3 is known as the rapid repolarization phase. The cell restores itself to the original polarized state of -90mV.


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