Innervation of the heart

Changed by Craig Hacking, 14 Oct 2022
Disclosures - updated 30 Aug 2022:
  • Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)

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AV node
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atrioventricular node
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sinoatrial node
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bundle of His
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The heart has extrinsic and intrinsic innervation, which allows the heart to continue beating if its nerve supply is disrupted (e.g. in cardiac transplant).

The extrinsic supply is from parasympathetic (from the vagus nerve) and sympathetic nerves from both the superficial and deep cardiac plexuses, which provide post-ganglionic fibres to the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes, as well as other parts of the cardiac conduction system. 

The cardiac conduction system represents the intrinsic component and is composed of (in order of depolarisation):

  • sinoatrial (SA) node
  • internodal connections
  • atrioventricular (AV) node
  • (atrioventricular) bundle of His
  • right and left bundle branches
  • Purkinje fibres

Cardiac myocyte conduction spreads through the heart from myocyte-to-myocyte starting at the SA (pacing) node and then via other parts of the cardiac conduction system in turn as outlined above. 

Each part of the cardiac conduction system has its own intrinsic pacemaker, which means that if a higher pacing centre (e.g. SA node) is damaged and stops functioning a lower pacing centre (e.g AV node) can take over.

  • -<p>The <strong>heart</strong> has extrinsic and intrinsic <strong>innervation</strong>, which allows the <a href="/articles/heart">heart</a> to continue beating if its nerve supply is disrupted (e.g. in <a href="/articles/cardiac-transplant">cardiac transplant</a>).</p><p>The extrinsic supply is from <a href="/articles/parasympathetic-nervous-system">parasympathetic</a> (from the <a href="/articles/vagus-nerve">vagus nerve</a>) and <a title="Sympathetic nervous system" href="/articles/sympathetic-nervous-system-1">sympathetic</a> nerves from both the superficial and deep <a href="/articles/cardiac-plexus">cardiac plexuses</a>, which provide post-ganglionic fibres to the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes, as well as other parts of the cardiac conduction system. </p><p>The <strong>cardiac conduction system </strong>represents the intrinsic component and is composed of (in order of depolarisation):</p><ul>
  • +<p>The <strong>heart</strong> has extrinsic and intrinsic <strong>innervation</strong>, which allows the <a href="/articles/heart">heart</a> to continue beating if its nerve supply is disrupted (e.g. in <a href="/articles/cardiac-transplant">cardiac transplant</a>).</p><p>The extrinsic supply is from <a href="/articles/parasympathetic-nervous-system">parasympathetic</a> (from the <a href="/articles/vagus-nerve">vagus nerve</a>) and <a href="/articles/sympathetic-nervous-system-1">sympathetic</a> nerves from both the superficial and deep <a href="/articles/cardiac-plexus">cardiac plexuses</a>, which provide post-ganglionic fibres to the sinoatrial (SA) and atrioventricular (AV) nodes, as well as other parts of the cardiac conduction system. </p><p>The <strong>cardiac conduction system </strong>represents the intrinsic component and is composed of (in order of depolarisation):</p><ul>

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