UNIT 2 SEMINARHUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2KAPLAN UNIVERSITYPROFESSOR ANDREW BUTZKETHOMISHA GOUARDOCTOBER 27, 2017What do those rising and falling lines indicate?The electrocardiogram or ECG/EKG is used to diagnose heart conditions. Anelectrocardiogram isa recordingof the small electric waves being generated during heart activity. A normal heart beatis initiated by a small pulse of elecric current. The electricshock spreads rapidly in the heart andmakes the heart muscles contract. The electric activitystarts at the tp of the heart and spreadsdown, and then back up again causing the heart muscle to contract in anoptimal way forpumping blood. Inside of theheart there are cels called pacemaker cells. The produce electricityby changing their electrical charge from positive to negative. The first electrical wave starts atthe top of the heart. The heart muscle cells have the ability to spread its electric charge toadjacent heartmuscle cells and this initial wavewould be enough tostart a chain reaction.Electric waves of the heart are recorded by the electrocrdioghraph. The rising and falling linesare registered by electrodes placed on different parts of the boody and each electrode controlsan ink needle that writes on a grid paper. The higher the intensity of electric wave the higher thelines would rise on the paper. when the paper moves beneth the needle it results in an inkcurve.There are different kinds of EKG test. The Holter monitor is a portable EKG that checks theelectrical activity of your hear for a couple of days for 24 hours a day, the Event monitor is the
