Transmission of Electrical Signals

Electric Signals in the Heart and the Nerves

Ruba

Electronic Signals in the Heart and the Nerves

The heart and nerves in the human body are organs of the circulatory and nervous system, respectively, of which they contribute to the proper body functioning of the human body. Although each organ belongs to different organ systems, the heart and nerves in the body share its similarities as well as differences. One important function that both the heart and nerves share is the ability of each to generate and transmit electric signals that stimulates movement and functioning inside the body, particularly in the brain's thought processes.

The activity of electric signal transmission in the heart and the nerves are two different processes, although they both share the aspect of being a step-like, or pathway process. This means that both the heart and nerves undergo a 'domino effect'-like process, where one action as a result of the electrical transmission triggers succeeding events that eventually lead to body functioning. Inside the body, the heart functions in a domino-effect-like manner because of the different pathways the electronic signal from the heart has to go through in order to keep the human body functioning. These pathways start from the sinoatrial or SA node, also commonly known as the "heart pacemaker." After passing through the SA node, the electric signal is transmitted to the following 'passageways' in the heart's structure: the atria- atrioventricular conduction system- AV (atrioventricular) node- bundle of His- ventricles- Purkinje fibers.

The enumerated pathways are also similar to the passageways that nerves' electric signals have to pass through. In the same manner that the heart is able to pass through different passageways within its 'structure,' nerves also transmit its signals through its own 'structure.' Electric signal transmission starts from the stimulus that activates the electric signal. After being stimulated, electric signals from the nerves travel to the following pathways: neuron's cell membrane- dendrites of next neuron- myelin sheath- nodes of Ranvier- axon. The process of electronic signal transmission in the nerves is a cycle that repeats itself once stimulus becomes present in the body.

Despite the domino-effect that is characteristic of the heart and the nerves' electronic signal transmission, two differences are evident in the transmission process of each. The heart, it can be observed, is independent in accomplishing the function of electronic signal transmission. This process is different in the nervous system. Nerves need to have a form of stimulus in order to generate or trigger an electronic signal reaction and transmission. This shows that nerves are dependent on the sensory organs of the body.