What are the phases of the cardiac action potential
Andrew Mccoy
Updated on March 29, 2026
The cardiac transmembrane action potential consists of five phases: phase 0, upstroke or rapid depolarization; phase 1, early rapid repolarization; phase 2, plateau; phase 3, final rapid repolarization; and phase 4, resting membrane potential and diastolic depolarization ( Fig. 34.2 and eFig. 34.1 ).
What are the 4 phases of cardiac action potential?
- Phase 4: The resting phase.
- Phase 0: Depolarization.
- Phase 1: Early repolarization.
- Phase 2: The plateau phase.
- Phase 3: Repolarization.
What are the 6 steps of action potential?
- Resting Membrane Potential. All voltage-gated channels are closed.
- Threshold. EPSP summate depolarizing membrane to threshold, at which point activation gates of voltage-gated sodium channels open.
- Depolarization Phase. …
- Repolarization Phase. …
- Undershoot. …
- Sodium Potassium pumps.
How many phases are in cardiac action potential?
The cardiac action potential has five phases as shown in Fig. 2. During phase 0, membrane permeability to potassium decreases and fast sodium channels open, producing rapid depolarization from −90 mV to +10 mV. During phase 1, there is partial repolarization, because of a decrease in sodium permeability.What are the three phases in order from start to finish that cardiac action potentials are composed of?
The action potential has three main stages: depolarization, repolarization, and hyperpolarization.
What is the plateau phase?
Plateau follows the excitement or sexual arousal phase, and is characterised by increased heart and respiratory rates, increased sexual pleasure, increased muscle tension, and is followed by orgasm. …
What are the 4 types of ion channels?
There are three main types of ion channels, i.e., voltage-gated, extracellular ligand-gated, and intracellular ligand-gated along with two groups of miscellaneous ion channels.
During which phase of the cardiac cycle does the mitral valve open?
Atrial systole is part of ventricular diastole, the duration of systole is approximately 1/3 of diastole. At this point in time atrial pressure is greater than ventricular pressure. Means that the mitral valve is open.Which phase of the cardiac action potential occurs when ions move across a cell membrane to restore a negative charge inside the cell?
Repolarization usually takes several milliseconds. Repolarization is a stage of an action potential in which the cell experiences a decrease of voltage due to the efflux of potassium (K+) ions along its electrochemical gradient. This phase occurs after the cell reaches its highest voltage from depolarization.
What is the process of action potential?An action potential occurs when a neuron sends information down an axon, away from the cell body. … The action potential is an explosion of electrical activity that is created by a depolarizing current. This means that some event (a stimulus) causes the resting potential to move toward 0 mV.
Article first time published onWhat is the falling phase of an action potential?
The falling phase is a rapid repolarization followed by the undershoot, when the membrane potential hyperpolarizes past rest. Finally, the membrane potential will return to the resting membrane potential. Figure 6.3. EPSPs that summate to reach threshold initiate the action potential.
What ends an action potential?
Positive ions still flow into the cell to depolarize it, but these ions pass through channels that open when a specific chemical, known as a neurotransmitter, binds to the channel and tells it to open. Neurotransmitters are released by cells near the dendrites, often as the end result of their own action potential!
How many phases are there in Purkinje cell action potential?
Cardiac action potential consists of four distinct phases (Figure 2a). In phase 0, upstroke occurs due to rapid transient influx of Na+.
During which phase of an action potential are voltage-gated K+ channels open while voltage-gated Na+ channels are closed?
As voltage-gated Na+ channels begin to inactivate, the membrane potential stops becoming more positive This marks the end of the depolarization phase of the action potential. Then, as voltage-gated K+ channels open, K+ ions rush out of the neuron, following their electrochemical gradient.
Does hyperpolarization cause action potential?
Hyperpolarization is a change in a cell’s membrane potential that makes it more negative. It is the opposite of a depolarization. It inhibits action potentials by increasing the stimulus required to move the membrane potential to the action potential threshold.
How do graded potentials cause an action potential?
Graded potentials travel by passive spread (electrotonic spread) to neighboring membrane regions. … Action potentials are triggered by membrane depolarization to threshold. Graded potentials are responsible for the initial membrane depolarization to threshold.
What causes the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential?
This is followed by a partial repolarization (phase 1) caused by closing of the fast channels, opening of a transient outward K+ channel, and reduced conductance of the inward rectifier K+ channel. The membrane potential enters the plateau phase (phase 2) due to inward Ca2+ currents carried by the L-type Ca2+ channel.
Why is the plateau phase important for cardiac function?
This plateau phase allows for a longer muscle contraction and gives time for the nearby cardiac muscle cells to depolarize. This is important in allowing the heart to contract in a steady, uniform and forceful manner.
What phase of the cardiac action potential occurs when ions move across a cell membrane causing the inside of the cell to become more positive?
The action potential begins with the voltage becoming more positive; this is known as depolarization and is mainly due to the opening of sodium channels that allow Na+ to flow into the cell.
During which phase of the cardiac action potential is there an outflow of potassium ions that begins rapid repolarization?
Phase 0 is the phase of depolarization; Phase 1 through 3 is the phases during which repolarization occurs; Phase 4 is the resting phase with no spontaneous depolarization. During phase zero, the phase of rapid depolarization, voltage-gated Na+ channels open, resulting in a rapid influx of Na+ ions.
What are the three phases of cardiac cycle?
Cardiac Cycle Every single heartbeat includes three major stages: atrial systole, ventricular systole, and complete cardiac diastole. Atrial systole is the contraction of the atria that causes ventricular filling.
What are the 7 phases of the cardiac cycle?
- Atrial contraction.
- Isovolumetric contraction.
- Rapid ejection.
- Reduced ejection.
- Isovolumetric relaxation.
- Rapid filling.
- Reduced filling.
Which phase of the ventricular action potential coincides with diastole?
Phase 4 of the cardiac muscle cell potential is called the diastolic interval, because this period corresponds to diastole, or the interval between contractions of heart muscle. Every time you hear or feel the thump of your heartbeat, this is the end of the heart contracting, which as called systole.
What characterizes depolarization the first phase of the action potential?
What characterizes depolarization, the first phase of the action potential? The membrane potential reaches a threshold value and returns to the resting state. The membrane potential changes to a less negative (but not a positive) value.
What are the steps of depolarization?
- Step 1 – Resting Potential. Sodium and potassium channels are closed. …
- Step 2 – Depolarization. Sodium channels open in response to a stimulus. …
- Step 3 – Repolarization. Na+ channels close and K+ channels open. …
- Step 4 – Resting Conditions. Na+ and K+ channels are closed.
Why does a hyperpolarization phase generally follow a repolarization phase in an action potential?
Why does a hyperpolarization phase generally follow a repolarization phase in an action potential? … These K+ ions decrease the positive ion concentration momentarily below the normal -70mV and thus hyperpolarize the cell. What are the basic divisions of the peripheral nervous system?
What happens during the undershoot phase?
The voltage-gated potassium channels stay open a little longer than needed to bring the membrane back to its resting potential. This results in a phenomenon called “undershoot,” in which the membrane potential briefly dips lower (more negative) than its resting potential.
Which of the following ion channels dominates during the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential?
Physiology. In adult cardiac myocytes, calcium influx through Cav1. 2 is responsible for the majority of the inward current during the plateau phase of the cardiac action potential, and Cav1. 2 is the dominant channel involved in excitation-contraction coupling.
How action potential travels down Axon?
The action potential travels down the axon as the membrane of the axon depolarizes and repolarizes. … Nodes of Ranvier are gaps in the myelin along the axons; they contain sodium and potassium ion channels, allowing the action potential to travel quickly down the axon by jumping from one node to the next.
Which phase of ventricular cell action potential occurs when calcium is entering the cell?
And this is exactly what occurs during phase 2 of the cardiac myocyte action potential. L-type calcium channels are open, and an influx of calcium ions into the cell leads to myocyte contraction. This contraction will lead to systole of the heart.
Which phase of the ventricular myocyte action potential is associated with the T wave of the ECG?
Ventricular repolarization is depicted on the ECG in the form of a T-wave. Ventricular depolarization (phase zero) is the opening of Na channels, phase one is as these Na channels begin to close and K channels open. Phase two of the ventricular action potential is sustained by the opening of Ca channels.