3.1 EKG

Purkinje fibers are specialized conductive fibers located in the inner ventricular walls of the heart that help coordinate the contraction of the ventricles.

An EKG (electrocardiogram) measures the electrical activity of the heart.

EKG stands for Electrocardiogram.

If an EKG reading is missing the P wave, it indicates that the atria are not contracting.

The flow of electrical impulses through the heart is: SA node → AV node → Bundle of His → Purkinje fibers → Ventricular depolarization (contraction).

The SA node (sinoatrial node) is the natural pacemaker of the heart that initiates the electrical impulses for heartbeats.

The AV node (atrioventricular node) receives impulses from the SA node and delays them before passing them to the ventricles.

Ventricular depolarization is the process by which the ventricles contract in response to electrical impulses.

The P wave represents atrial depolarization, indicating that the atria are contracting.

A flat line on an EKG may indicate that the heart has stopped contracting altogether.