Heart Nodes
A node is a specialized type of tissue that behaves as both
muscle and
nervous tissue. When nodal tissue contracts (like muscle tissue) it generates nerve impulses (like nervous tissue) that travel throughout the
heart wall. The heart has two nodes that are instrumental in
cardiac conduction, which is the electrical system that powers the
cardiac cycle. These two nodes are the sinoatrial (SA) node and the atrioventricular (AV) node.
Sinoatrial (SA) Node
The
sinoatrial node, also referred to as the pacemaker of the heart, coordinates heart contractions. Located in the upper wall of the right
atrium, it generates nerve impulses that travel throughout the heart wall causing both atria to contract.
Atrioventricular (AV) Node
The
atrioventricular node lies on the right side of the partition that divides the atria, near the bottom of the right atrium. When the impulses generated by the SA node reach the AV node, they are delayed for about a tenth of a second. This delay allows the atria to contract, thereby emptying blood into the
ventricles. The AV node then sends the impulses down the
atrioventricular bundle. This bundle of fibers branches off into two bundles and the impulses are carried down the center of the heart to the left and right ventricles.
