EXAM 1 NUR 232 FUNCTION OF THE
HEART EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
-8NANSWERS--
The8Ncardiac8Nconduction8Nsystem8Ngenerates8Nand8Ntransmits8Nelectrical8Nimpulse
s8Nthat8Nstimulate8Ncontraction8Nof8Nthe8Nmyo-
8Ncardium.8NUnder8Nnormal8Ncircumstances,8Nthe8Nconduction8Nsys-
8Ntem8Nfirst8Nstimulates8Ncontraction8Nof8Nthe8Natria8Nand8Nthen8Nthe8Nventricles.8NT
he8Nsynchronization8Nof8Nthe8Natrial8Nand8Nventricular8Nevents8Nallows8Nthe8Nventricl
es8Nto8Nfill8Ncompletely8Nbefore8Nven-
8Ntricular8Nejection,8Nthereby8Nmaximizing8Ncardiac8Noutput.8NThree8Nphysiologic8Nc
haracteristics8Nof8Ntwo8Ntypes8Nof8Nspecialized8Nelec-
8Ntrical8Ncells,8Nthe8Nnodal8Ncells8Nand8Nthe8NPurkinje8Ncells,8Nprovide8Nthis8Nsynchr
onization:
•8NAutomaticity:8Nability8Nto8Ninitiate8Nan8Nelectrical8Nimpulse8N•8NExcitability:8Nability
8Nto8Nrespond8Nto8Nan8Nelectrical8Nimpulse8N•8NConductivity:8Nability8Nto8Ntransmit8N
an8Nelectrical8Nimpulse
from8None8Ncell8Nto8Nanother8NBoth8Nthe8Nsinoatrial8N(SA)8Nnode8N(the8Nprimary8Npa
cemaker
of8Nthe8Nheart)8Nand8Nthe8Natrioventricular8N(AV)8Nnode8N(the8Nsec-
8Nondary8Npacemaker8Nof8Nthe8Nheart)8Nare8Ncomposed8Nof8Nnodal8Ncells.8NThe8NS
A8Nnode8Nis8Nlocated8Nat8Nthe8Njunction8Nof8Nthe8Nsuperior8Nvena8Ncava8Nand8Nthe8
Nright8Natrium8N(Fig.8N25-
3).8NThe8NSA8Nnode8Nin8Na8Nnormal8Nresting8Nadult8Nheart8Nhas8Nan8Ninherent8Nfirin
g8Nrate8Nof8N608Nto8N1008Nimpulses8Nper8Nminute;8Nhowever,8Nthe8Nrate8Nchanges8N
in8Nresponse8Nto8Nthe8Nmetabolic8Ndemands8Nof8Nthe8Nbody8N(Weber8N&8NKelley,8N
2010).
The8Nelectrical8Nimpulses8Ninitiated8Nby8Nthe8NSA8Nnode8Nare8Ncon-
8Nducted8Nalong8Nthe8Nmyocardial8Ncells8Nof8Nthe8Natria8Nvia8Nspecial-
8Nized8Ntracts8Ncalled8Ninternodal8Npathways.8NThe8Nimpulses8Ncause
8N(L.8N657)
L.,8NHinkle,8NJ.,8NCheever,8NH..8NBrunner8N&8NSuddarth's8NTextbook8Nof8NMedical-
Surgical8NNursing,8N13th8NEdition.8NLippincott8NWilliams8N&8NWilkins,8N12/2013.8NVit
alBook8Nfile.
What's8Nthe8Nfunction8Nof8Ncardiac8Nconduction8Nsystem?8N-8NANSWERS--
generates8Nand8Ntransmits8Nelectrical8Nimpulses8Nthat8Nstimulate8Ncontraction8Nof8Nt
he8Nmyo-8Ncardium.
Conduction8Nsystem8Nkeeps8Nthings8Nin8Norder.8N
Under8Nnormal8Ncircumstances,8Nthe8Nconduction8Nsys-
8Ntem8Nfirst8Nstimulates8Ncontraction8Nof8Nthe8Natria8Nand8Nthen8Nthe8Nventricles.
HEART EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
-8NANSWERS--
The8Ncardiac8Nconduction8Nsystem8Ngenerates8Nand8Ntransmits8Nelectrical8Nimpulse
s8Nthat8Nstimulate8Ncontraction8Nof8Nthe8Nmyo-
8Ncardium.8NUnder8Nnormal8Ncircumstances,8Nthe8Nconduction8Nsys-
8Ntem8Nfirst8Nstimulates8Ncontraction8Nof8Nthe8Natria8Nand8Nthen8Nthe8Nventricles.8NT
he8Nsynchronization8Nof8Nthe8Natrial8Nand8Nventricular8Nevents8Nallows8Nthe8Nventricl
es8Nto8Nfill8Ncompletely8Nbefore8Nven-
8Ntricular8Nejection,8Nthereby8Nmaximizing8Ncardiac8Noutput.8NThree8Nphysiologic8Nc
haracteristics8Nof8Ntwo8Ntypes8Nof8Nspecialized8Nelec-
8Ntrical8Ncells,8Nthe8Nnodal8Ncells8Nand8Nthe8NPurkinje8Ncells,8Nprovide8Nthis8Nsynchr
onization:
•8NAutomaticity:8Nability8Nto8Ninitiate8Nan8Nelectrical8Nimpulse8N•8NExcitability:8Nability
8Nto8Nrespond8Nto8Nan8Nelectrical8Nimpulse8N•8NConductivity:8Nability8Nto8Ntransmit8N
an8Nelectrical8Nimpulse
from8None8Ncell8Nto8Nanother8NBoth8Nthe8Nsinoatrial8N(SA)8Nnode8N(the8Nprimary8Npa
cemaker
of8Nthe8Nheart)8Nand8Nthe8Natrioventricular8N(AV)8Nnode8N(the8Nsec-
8Nondary8Npacemaker8Nof8Nthe8Nheart)8Nare8Ncomposed8Nof8Nnodal8Ncells.8NThe8NS
A8Nnode8Nis8Nlocated8Nat8Nthe8Njunction8Nof8Nthe8Nsuperior8Nvena8Ncava8Nand8Nthe8
Nright8Natrium8N(Fig.8N25-
3).8NThe8NSA8Nnode8Nin8Na8Nnormal8Nresting8Nadult8Nheart8Nhas8Nan8Ninherent8Nfirin
g8Nrate8Nof8N608Nto8N1008Nimpulses8Nper8Nminute;8Nhowever,8Nthe8Nrate8Nchanges8N
in8Nresponse8Nto8Nthe8Nmetabolic8Ndemands8Nof8Nthe8Nbody8N(Weber8N&8NKelley,8N
2010).
The8Nelectrical8Nimpulses8Ninitiated8Nby8Nthe8NSA8Nnode8Nare8Ncon-
8Nducted8Nalong8Nthe8Nmyocardial8Ncells8Nof8Nthe8Natria8Nvia8Nspecial-
8Nized8Ntracts8Ncalled8Ninternodal8Npathways.8NThe8Nimpulses8Ncause
8N(L.8N657)
L.,8NHinkle,8NJ.,8NCheever,8NH..8NBrunner8N&8NSuddarth's8NTextbook8Nof8NMedical-
Surgical8NNursing,8N13th8NEdition.8NLippincott8NWilliams8N&8NWilkins,8N12/2013.8NVit
alBook8Nfile.
What's8Nthe8Nfunction8Nof8Ncardiac8Nconduction8Nsystem?8N-8NANSWERS--
generates8Nand8Ntransmits8Nelectrical8Nimpulses8Nthat8Nstimulate8Ncontraction8Nof8Nt
he8Nmyo-8Ncardium.
Conduction8Nsystem8Nkeeps8Nthings8Nin8Norder.8N
Under8Nnormal8Ncircumstances,8Nthe8Nconduction8Nsys-
8Ntem8Nfirst8Nstimulates8Ncontraction8Nof8Nthe8Natria8Nand8Nthen8Nthe8Nventricles.