Basic Medical Science
- Understand the intricate mechanisms underlying cardiac excitation and contraction
Basic physiology and knowledge of sciences like chemistry, physics, and biology
This is the most comprehensive course for cardiac anatomy & physiology. Graduate and undergraduate students in the health-care or life sciences fields will encounter a thorough overview of the anatomical features of the heart and the physiological mechanisms underlying a normal cardiac cycle. These mechanisms are covered in depth. Students will get an exhaustive tour of the heart:
1. external and internal anatomy of heart,
2. coronary arteries and veins,
3. cardiac conduction system,
4. autonomic innervation of the heart and its role in regulating blood pressure,
5. the heart as a gland or an endocrine organ and the hormones cardiac cells release,
6. basic mechanisms of cardiac electrophysiology beginning with the cellular biophysics of ion channels all the way to action potentials in pacemaker and muscle cells of the heart,
7. autonomic regulation of chronotropy, inotropy, dromotropy, and contractility,
8. basics of the ECG, including vector orientation and the mean electrical axis,
9. and the effect of preload, afterload, and contractility on the force-length, force-velocity, and pressure-volume relationships in the heart. By the end of this course, students will develop a solid foundation in basic cardiology, enabling them to apply what they've learned to more advanced applications.