Sinoatrial node the discovery in a makeshift laboratory set up in a picturesque farmhouse in Kent, England, called Mann's Place. Their discovery was published in 1907. Sinoatrial node The sinoatrial node (SA node), also known as sinus node, is a group of cells located in the wall of the right atrium of the heart. These cells have the ability to spontaneously produce an electrical impulse (action potential; see below for more details), that travels through the heart via the electrical conduction system (see figure 1) causing it to contract. In a healthy heart, the SA node continuously produces action potential, setting the
Sinoatrial node hyperpolarisation-activated cyclic nucleotide–gated (HCN) channels, are activated. Activation of these channels at very negative membrane potential is an unusual property for ion channels, therefore the flow of sodium (Na) and some potassium (K) through the activated HCN channel is referred to as a "funny current" (I). This funny current causes the membrane potential of the cell to gradually increase, as the positive charge (Na and K) is flowing into the cell. Another mechanism involved in pacemaker potential is known as the calcium clock. Here, calcium is released spontaneously from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (a calcium store) into the cell, this is