Abstract The electrocardiogram (ECG) represents a summation of electrical activity in the heart, derived from extracellular electrode recordings obtained from the body surface. Although a detailed description of ECG analysis…
Abstract The primary function of the heart is ejection of blood into the vascular system. Individual cardiomyocytes are specialised in the generation of spontaneous activity (automaticity), transmission of the resulting…
Abstract A volume of 500–1000 mL of saliva is secreted by the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands per day in response to the thought, smell, taste and presence of food…
Abstract Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as ‘an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in…
Abstract The globe is an approximately spherical structure made up of three layers (Figure 61.1). Chapter 61 The Eye and Intraocular Pressure Describe the anatomy of the globe of the…
Abstract The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the portion of the nervous system that innervates smooth muscle and glands, thus influencing the function of internal organs that regulate heart rate…
Abstract Locomotion: contraction of muscle reduces the distance between its sites of origin and insertion, thereby producing movement. Chapter 54 Skeletal Muscle What are the functions of skeletal muscle? Locomotion:…
Abstract Proprioception refers to the detection of stimuli relating to body position in space and postural equilibrium. Mechanoreceptors within muscle, joints and tendons relay sensory information about joint position, movement,…
Abstract Smooth muscle is a type of involuntary muscle, innervated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). In contrast to skeletal and cardiac muscle, smooth muscle is non-striated. Smooth muscle is…
Abstract Chemical synapse, in which the signal is relayed by means of a chemical messenger called a neurotransmitter. Arrival of an action potential triggers neurotransmitter release into the synaptic cleft,…
