introducing the heart (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, December 05, 2024, 23:11 (16 days ago)

It has its own nervous system:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241204114304.htm

"Scientists have now discovered that the heart has its own complex nervous system that is crucial to controlling its rhythm.

"'This 'little brain' has a key role in maintaining and controlling the heartbeat, similar to how the brain regulates rhythmic functions such as locomotion and breathing," explains Konstantinos Ampatzis, principal researcher and docent at the Department of Neuroscience.

"The researchers identified several types of neurons in the heart that have different functions, including a small group of neurons with pacemaker properties. The finding challenges the current view on how the heartbeat is controlled, which may have clinical implications.

"'We were surprised to see how complex the nervous system within the heart is," says Konstantinos Ampatzis. "Understanding this system better could lead to new insights into heart diseases and help develop new treatments for diseases such as arrhythmias."

"The study was conducted on zebrafish, an animal model that exhibits strong similarities to human heart rate and overall cardiac function. The researchers were able to map out the composition, organisation and function of neurons within the heart using a combination of methods such as single-cell RNA sequencing, anatomical studies and electrophysiological techniques.

"'We will now continue to investigate how the heart's brain interacts with the actual brain to regulate heart functions under different conditions such as exercise, stress, or disease," says Konstantinos Ampatzis. "We aim to identify new therapeutic targets by examining how disruptions in the heart's neuronal network contribute to different heart disorders.'"

Comment: when higher heart rate centers stop lower rate centers take over. The heart always wants to beat at some given rate.