To be healthy, you need to know how your own body works. Any violation in the functioning of the body systems can lead to serious consequences. Let's look at how the heart works, where the sinus-atrial node is located.
The mechanism of human existence
Man as a working multifunctional mechanism. He can perform many actions: eat, drink, walk, sit, look out the window - this list can be endless. For all of the above, the body's vital systems are responsible. Each organ performs a specific function, it is impossible to replace it with another. Everything is very simple: our eyes are responsible for visual perception, ears for auditory, the stomach is responsible for digestion, the lungs for breathing, the brain for mental and other operations, the spleen and liver for digestion and transport of food in the body, etc. . d.
All organs are important and interconnected. Even without one, our body will not be able to fully function, and we, accordingly, will be susceptible to disease. In today's world, you can easily determine whether a person is healthy or not. About the disease in a person, the color of the skin, the condition of the teeth, fatigue, exhaustion, etc. speak. Therefore, each of us must take care of our health, namely, the proper functioning of the internal organs.
The heart is a vital organ
The heart is a circulatory organ that transports blood through vessels. It is able to pump 4-5 liters of blood per minute. But this is not the final figure, it can reach 30 liters. Based on the research data, the weight of the heart is about 300 g, the width is 7-10 cm, the length is 12-13 cm. It is believed that if you clench your fist, then its circumference will correspond to the size of the heart. But all this is relative and depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the rhythm of life.
The heart is an organ that is involved in the transport of nutrients in the blood through vessels to the brain and other organs. And while it works without deviations, our body does not experience difficulties in life.
But do not forget that this body is not eternal and may fail and require urgent recovery. Heart problems can occur due to heredity, the influence of the internal environment, alcohol and smoking abuse, frequent stress and lack of sleep, as well as other negative factors. The best prevention will be sports and a proper diet.
Heart structure
The heart consists of four chambers separated by special partitions. Two chambers - this is the left and right atrium. In the right atrium is the sinus-atrial node. The other two chambers are the left and right ventricles. The right side of the heart, which includes the right atrium and ventricle, is responsible for venous blood, and the left side, where the left atrium and ventricle are located, is responsible for arterial blood.
Between the atria and the ventricles is a valve that keeps blood from flowing in the opposite direction. Also in the heart there are hollow veins that enter the right atrium, and pulmonary veins into the left atrium.
Where is
Today we will consider in more detail one of its components - the sinus-atrial node. This is just a scary name.
It is also called the sinoatrial, sinus node, the Kies - Fleck node . The sinus-atrial node is located in the right atrium, where the superior vena cava flows into. This explains why we previously considered the structure of the organ.
The sinus-atrial node of the heart is a node that represents an accumulation of muscle tissue. The length of such a node, as a rule, is from 1 to 20 mm, and the width is from 3 to 5 mm. The structure of the sinus-atrial node includes cells of two types: those that excite electrical impulses for the heart, and those that are responsible for conducting the incentives from the node to the atria.
The outer shell of these cells (membrane) is characterized by high permeability to sodium ions. The presence of sodium ions leads to certain actions in the cells that are nearby, this is the so-called excitation wave. Excitation shocks pass through the heart muscles and provoke their contraction.
The main function of the sinus node is the excitation of electrical impulses. Impulses arising in the node lead to excitation and contraction of the heart. In normal operation, this is 60-80 imp / min.
According to many indicators, the sinus-atrial node is often called the pacemaker of the heart, since a wave of excitation originates in it, which, in turn, provokes the following.
The contraction spreads along the walls of the atrium at a speed of 1 m / s. This information makes it possible to understand how the node works and where its location is.
Conductive system of the heart
The sinus-atrial node (in Latin nódus sinuatriális) is of great importance in the life of the body. Is it really that important as we talk about him? The answer is simple, because the heart is a pump for our body, which pumps blood through the veins and arteries. This pump only works thanks to contractions in the organ. This is possible thanks to the conductive system of the heart.
Two components act as integral and very important components of this system: the Kis – Flek node and the Aschoff – Tawar node.
Kis Knot - Fleck Knot and Ashoff Knot - Tawar
Their peculiarity is that their cells are capable of transmitting nerve impulses that provoke a reduction in the atria and ventricles. This is because their cells are connected by ends and lateral surfaces. In this regard, they are sensitive. Cardiac stimuli begin in the sinus node, then diverge in the atria and finally reach the atrioventricular node.
History of the origin of the terms
The history of the origin of the terms begins in the 19th century. The beginning of the 20th century is famous for its morphological studies of the heart, which have entered into science and history. In 1806, S. Tavara discovered the atrioventricular node. He was named after the scientist. Engaged in the study of this issue A. Keyes and M. Fleck, they accurately described the sinus node. Soon they proved that this node is the main, one might say, indispensable generator of heart pulses.
It was also important that if the sinoatrial node is deprived of its functions, the anrioventricular node automatically becomes a rhythm generator. Thus, these nodes complement each other in case of violation of the functions of one of them.
Problems and pathologies
All organs of the body can undergo the development of various pathologies. No one is safe from this. The heart is one of the organs that suffers the most. And of course, there are problems in the operation of the nodes of the conduction system of the heart. It is necessary to treat these disorders with great caution, since they can disrupt the functioning of the conduction system of the heart, which will lead to negative consequences. These problems lead to:
- Partial blockade. In this case, the pulse is carried out slowly.
- Complete blockade when there is no impulse at all.
Such blockages can occur in different parts of the whole system. For example, it can be a sinus block - a site of violations and deviations in this particular node, atrioventricular block - directly on the site of this node, etc. That is, the place of occurrence of the block is considered the name.
We already know that if the sinus-atrial node does not work well, this entails dysfunction of the remaining components of the heart. Therefore, it is worthwhile to keep all organs in order and protect them as far as possible.
Even if a person completely leads a correct lifestyle, complies with all recommendations, regulates work and rest time, avoids stressful situations, he will not be able to avoid congenital blockades. They, as a rule, do not affect a person’s life and do not bear any discomfort.
Causes of disease
The causes of heart disease can be different. Sometimes we may not even know that we are a carrier of any pathology. There are such causes of pathology:
- acquired or congenital heart defects;
- surgical consequences, injuries;
- complications after illness;
- violation of the nervous system;
- diseases of the respiratory system;
- thyroid disease, diabetes, anemia;
- side effects from medications;
- alcohol and smoking;
- blockades that arose for no apparent reason.
People have the opportunity to solve such problems with medical and surgical methods.
Drug treatment involves the intake of vitamins and drugs, dieting (increasing the portion of taking fresh vegetables and fruits, refusing too fatty and sugary foods). Surgical is used when medication does not work. For example, a person often loses consciousness or a disease becomes malignant. In such cases, the installation of a pacemaker is possible. Then such people should be under the constant supervision of specialists.
Disease prevention
Currently, everyone has some kind of health problem. It can be acquired diseases or congenital. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford regular treatment or wellness activities. But this does not mean that you need to come to terms with health problems. Experts recommend observing some rules that are effective and necessary in order to prevent disruption in the work of these bodies. Using them, you can not only maintain the level of health, reduce the risk of new ones, but also ease the form of existing diseases. These rules include:
- correct daily routine;
- balanced diet;
- rejection of bad habits;
- avoidance of stressful situations;
- timely contact to specialists.
It is not difficult to follow such rules, but the result will not be long in coming. The most important thing is to follow the systematic implementation and learn how to enjoy them.
So we found out where the sinus-atrial node is located, what it is responsible for, and how to maintain stable heart function for many years. Take care of yourself, do not be sick! And most importantly, monitor your health.