What is the significance of the atrioventricular node and atrioventricular bundle in the functioning of the heart?
Another mass of model tissue is seen in the lower left comer of the right atrium close to the atrioventricular septum called the atrioventricular node (AVN). A bundle of nodal fibers, atrioventricular bundle (AV bundle) continues from the AVN which passes through the atrioventricular septa to emerge on the top of the interventricular septum and immediately divides into a right and left bundle. These branches give rise to minute fibers throughout the ventricular musculature of the respective sides and are called Purkinje fibers. These fibers along with the right and left bundle are known as the bundle of HIS. The nodal musculature has the ability to generate action potentials without any external stimuli i.e., it is auto excitable. However, the number of action potentials that could be generated in a minute varies at different parts of the nodal system.
