Which component is responsible for transmitting impulses to the ventricular walls?

Study for the Heart Physiology Exam. Review key concepts with multiple-choice questions and detailed explanations. Get ready to ace your test!

The Purkinje fibers are specialized conducting fibers located within the walls of the ventricles and play a critical role in heart function. Their primary responsibility is to rapidly transmit electrical impulses from the Bundle of His throughout the ventricular myocardium. This action ensures coordinated contraction of the ventricular muscles, enabling efficient pumping of blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.

When the electrical impulse reaches the Purkinje fibers, it results in a synchronized contraction of the ventricles. This allows for an effective and timely ejection of blood during the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle. The rapid conduction through the Purkinje fibers is essential for the proper timing of ventricular contraction, ensuring that it happens just after the atria have emptied their blood into the ventricles.

Other components of the heart's conduction system, such as the AV Bundle of His, sinoatrial node, and atrioventricular node, serve different roles. The AV Bundle of His conducts impulses from the atria to the ventricles, while the sinoatrial node is the primary pacemaker of the heart, initiating the heartbeat. The atrioventricular node serves as a critical gatekeeper, delaying impulses from the atria before they reach the ventricles, allowing for optimal filling of

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