What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine whether the fundamental electrical response of an individual cardiac muscle fiber is a spike potential rather than a plateau potential.

May 1, 1963The Journal of General PhysiologyOpen Access

Is the Fundamental Electrical Response of the Single Heart Muscle Cell a Spike Potential?

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To determine whether the fundamental electrical response of an individual cardiac muscle fiber is a spike potential rather than a plateau potential.
Performed visual microelectrode recordings under light microscopy on heart fibers isolated from urodele amphibians (Amphiuma and Necturus).
Recorded electrical configurations across tissue preparations of varying dimensions, ranging from small bundles of 5 to 10 fibers to adhering myocardium strips and large tissue masses.
Bundles containing as few as 5 to 10 cardiac fibers generated non-overshooting spike potentials rather than classic plateau potentials.
Large myocardial tissue masses produced plateau-shaped action potentials exclusively, while intermediate-sized bundles displayed an intermingling of both spikes and plateaus.
Action potential morphology depended directly on the mass and physical geometry of the impaled myocardial tissue.

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Implication

Microelectrode study reveals spike potentials rather than plateaus in amphibian heart fibers, suggesting tissue mass determines action potential waveform.

Cite This Study

Churney et al. (1963) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aadd3b813163dee1fdb87c0 https://doi.org/10.1085/jgp.46.5.1029

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Implication

Microelectrode study reveals spike potentials rather than plateaus in amphibian heart fibers, suggesting tissue mass determines action potential waveform.

Is the Fundamental Electrical Response of the Single Heart Muscle Cell a Spike Potential?

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Is the Fundamental Electrical Response of the Single Heart Muscle Cell a Spike Potential?

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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