Pacemaker action potential
Encyclopedia
A pacemaker action potential is the kind of action potential
that provides a reference rhythm for the network. This contrasts with pacemaker potential
or current which drives rhythmic modulation of firing rate.
Some pacemaker action potentials generate rhythms for the heart beat (sino-atrial node) or the circadian rhythm
in the suprachiasmatic nucleus
.
Action potential
In physiology, an action potential is a short-lasting event in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls, following a consistent trajectory. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, called excitable cells, which include neurons, muscle cells, and...
that provides a reference rhythm for the network. This contrasts with pacemaker potential
Pacemaker potential
In the pacemaking cells of the heart , the pacemaker potential is the slow, positive increase in voltage across the cell's membrane that occurs between the end of one action potential and the beginning of the next action potential...
or current which drives rhythmic modulation of firing rate.
Some pacemaker action potentials generate rhythms for the heart beat (sino-atrial node) or the circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm
A circadian rhythm, popularly referred to as body clock, is an endogenously driven , roughly 24-hour cycle in biochemical, physiological, or behavioural processes. Circadian rhythms have been widely observed in plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria...
in the suprachiasmatic nucleus
Suprachiasmatic nucleus
The suprachiasmatic nucleus or nuclei, abbreviated SCN, is a tiny region on the brain's midline, situated directly above the optic chiasm. It is responsible for controlling circadian rhythms...
.