Biological pacemaker
Hey there! Have you ever heard of a pacemaker before? It's a small device that some people need to help their heart beat in a regular rhythm.
Well, a biological pacemaker is kind of like a pacemaker, but it's made from cells instead of a machine. It's a special group of cells that can generate a heartbeat on their own, without needing any help from the rest of the heart.
These cells are found in a part of the heart called the sinoatrial (SA) node. The SA node is like the heart's natural pacemaker - it sends electrical signals to the rest of the heart telling it when to contract (squeeze) and relax.
Sometimes, though, the SA node doesn't work properly. This can happen for a variety of reasons, like heart disease or certain medications. When that happens, doctors might need to put in a pacemaker to regulate the heartbeat.
But in some cases, doctors can actually use cells from the SA node to create a biological pacemaker. They take some of these special cells and grow them in a lab, then implant them back into the person's heart.
Once the cells are in the heart, they start generating their own electrical signals just like the SA node does. And voila! The person has a brand new pacemaker made entirely of their own cells.
Pretty cool, huh?
Well, a biological pacemaker is kind of like a pacemaker, but it's made from cells instead of a machine. It's a special group of cells that can generate a heartbeat on their own, without needing any help from the rest of the heart.
These cells are found in a part of the heart called the sinoatrial (SA) node. The SA node is like the heart's natural pacemaker - it sends electrical signals to the rest of the heart telling it when to contract (squeeze) and relax.
Sometimes, though, the SA node doesn't work properly. This can happen for a variety of reasons, like heart disease or certain medications. When that happens, doctors might need to put in a pacemaker to regulate the heartbeat.
But in some cases, doctors can actually use cells from the SA node to create a biological pacemaker. They take some of these special cells and grow them in a lab, then implant them back into the person's heart.
Once the cells are in the heart, they start generating their own electrical signals just like the SA node does. And voila! The person has a brand new pacemaker made entirely of their own cells.
Pretty cool, huh?