Define autorhythmicity. A)Autorhythmicity is the ability of the heart to contract with neural stimulation. B)Autorhythmicity is the ability of the heart to contract with hormonal stimulation. C)Autorhythmicity is the ability of the heart to contract without neural or hormonal stimulation. D)Autorhythmicity is the ability of the heart to relax after each contraction. E)Autorhythmicity is the ability of the heart to respond to sympathetic stimulation.

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Autorhythmicity refers to the ability of specific cardiac muscle cells, known as pacemaker cells, to generate spontaneous action potentials and thus initiate contraction of the heart without external neural or hormonal stimulation. These pacemaker cells are located in the sinoatrial (SA) node, atrioventricular (AV) node, and Purkinje fibers of the ventricular conduction system.

Define autorhythmicity