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Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System
The Intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS), also known as the heart's "little brain," is a complex network of neurons and Ganglion, ganglia embedded within the Cardiac muscle, heart tissue that regulates cardiac function independently of the central nervous system. It modulates heart rate, Cardiac conduction system, conduction, and cardiac contractility in response to local and External stimulus, external stimuli. Anatomy The ICNS consists of clusters of neurons, or ganglia, primarily located in the atrial and Ventricle (heart), ventricular walls, with higher concentrations in the Sinoatrial node, sinoatrial (SA) and Atrioventricular node, atrioventricular (AV) nodes. These ganglia contain: * Afferent neurons: Detect mechanical and chemical changes in the heart. * Efferent neurons: Modulate cardiac muscle activity. * Interneurons: Facilitate communication within the ICNS. * The system is organized into Ganglionated plexi, ganglionated plexuses, interconnected by nerve fibers, for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neuron
A neuron (American English), neurone (British English), or nerve cell, is an membrane potential#Cell excitability, excitable cell (biology), cell that fires electric signals called action potentials across a neural network (biology), neural network in the nervous system. They are located in the nervous system and help to receive and conduct impulses. Neurons communicate with other cells via synapses, which are specialized connections that commonly use minute amounts of chemical neurotransmitters to pass the electric signal from the presynaptic neuron to the target cell through the synaptic gap. Neurons are the main components of nervous tissue in all Animalia, animals except sponges and placozoans. Plants and fungi do not have nerve cells. Molecular evidence suggests that the ability to generate electric signals first appeared in evolution some 700 to 800 million years ago, during the Tonian period. Predecessors of neurons were the peptidergic secretory cells. They eventually ga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
