Cardiovascular centre the cardiovascular centre and cause it to increase the rate of impulses sent to the sinoatrial node, or pacemaker, resulting in faster and stronger cardiac muscle contraction and thus increasing the heart rate. Cardiovascular centre The cardiovascular centre is a part of the human brain responsible for the regulation of the rate at which the heart beats through the nervous and endocrine systems. It is found in the medulla oblongata. Normally, the heart beats without nervous control, but in some situations (e.g., exercise, body trauma), the cardiovascular centre is responsible for altering the rate at which the heart beats. It
Cardiac excitation-contraction coupling In the SAN cAMP binds to an ion channel involved in action potential initiation, speeding up the production of the action potential (see sinoatrial node for more detail). cAMP also, activates a protein called protein kinase A (PKA). PKA affects both the DHPR and RyR, increasing the rise in Ca within the contractile cells and therefore increasing rate of muscle contraction. PKA also affects the myofilaments as well as a protein called phospholamban (PLB; see sarcoplasmic reticulum for more details), speeding up the rate of Cadecline in the cell and so speeding up muscle relaxation. Parasympathetic nerves work by releasing