Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Pacemaker action potential
Introduction
Overview
A pacemaker action potential is the kind of action potential that provides a reference rhythm for the network. This contrasts with pacemaker potential or current which drives rhythmic modulation of firing rate.
Some pacemaker action potentials generate rhythms for the heart beat (sino-atrial node) or the circadian rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]