Cardiomyocyte calcium dynamics
Author
Document type
Coursework
Date
2017
rights
Open Access
Publisher
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Academic year
2016/2017
UPCommons
Abstract
Contraction of the cardiac muscles starts with an action potential acting as a signal, which depolarizes
myocytes, making them to contract. Ca 2+ is key in both processes, signaling and contraction; in this work
we are going to focus in the role its concentration plays in contraction of cardiomyocytes, and therefore
beating of the heart. A cardiac cell can be modelled as an array of Calcium Release Units (CaRUs), each of
which present five different compartments and calcium concentration; the response of this concentrations to
the external action potential determines the cardiac contraction.
Participating teacher
- Gutiérrez de la Cal, Xabier
- Rojo González, Javier