Physiology of the

Circulatory
System:
The baseline heart rate
and ECG
DE LA PAZ | DUQUE | GALAROSA | GONZALES
Group 4
4 Biology 6

SUMMARY
The frog heart is made of three chambers, one ventricle and two atria.
Although it is similar to skeletal muscles, it is an involuntary muscle that
does not need to be stimulated by nerves to contract. This is due to the
action potentials that spontaneously begin in the pacemaker region in
the right atrium that spreads through the heart. An electrocardiogram
(ECG) was used to test the electrical activity in the heart. An ECG
translates the heart's electrical activity into line tracings. In this
experiment, the baseline heart rate and ECG of the frog was observed.
The baseline heart rate of the frog at room temperature is said to be
around 40 BPM, and it was found experimentally that the computed
baseline heart rate is 31.7460 BPM, and the baseline heart rate from
the data pad is 31.4273 BPM. The heart rate of the frog may be lower
than normal due to the lower temperature in the laboratory. For the
ECG, the tracing produced waves that consists of P waves, PR
intervals, QRS complexes, ST segments, T waves, QT intervals, and,
at times, U waves.

Keywords: Circulatory
electrocardiogram

system,

heart,

baseline

heart

rate,

Introduction

Frog Heart

Frog Heart
Ventricle: single chamber at the bottom of the heart
Atria: two thin-walled chambers located above the
ventricle (darker red in color)
Sinoatrial (SA) node
Pacemaker of the heart
Transmit electrical signals to make the heart contract in
a rhythmic manner
Aortic trunk
Right side of the ventricle
Less oxygenated blood: pulmocutaneous artery
More oxygenated blood: Carotid, aorta
Sinus venosus:
Receives blood and delivers it to the right atria

Circulatory System

ECG
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a
machine that can be used to
record and display the electrical
activity of the heart
Different peaks shown in an ECG
and each corresponds to voltage
changes in specific regions of the
heart
The ECG can be very helpful to
the lives of human beings

ECG
P wave: atrial depolarization
QRS complex: atrial repolarization and ventricular
depolarization
T wave: ventricular repolarization

Methodology

Set-up and Calibration

The mounting stand was set-up with the
Force transducer mounted on the
micropositioner.

The Bridge Pod was plugged into the Pod Port on

Input 1 of the PowerLab.

The force transducer cable was connected to

the back of the Bridge Pod.

PowerLab was turned on. LabChart was

launched from the computer.

A piece of strong thread about 36cm in length

was tied to the force transducer. A small,
barb-less hook was attached to the other end
of the thread.

Frog heart settings was opened and from the

Force Channel Function pop-up menu, Bridge
Pod was selected.

The patient cable was attached to the Bio

Amp pocket on the PowerLab.

The zeroing knob on the front of the Bridge Pod

was turned until a reading of zero is seen in the
dialog preview window.

Three lead wires were attached to the Bio

Amp Cable: Channel 1 positive and negative,
and Earth.

Recording Baseline Heart Rate and ECG

The heart was gently lifted from the animals
body cavity, and the other end of the thread
was tied to the force transducer.

A heartbeat waveform in the Force Channel

and an ECG signal in the ECG channel were
seen.

The slack in the thread was reduced by

adjusting the micropositioner on the mounting
stand.

The tension on the heart was adjusted with

the micropositioner when a weak signal in the
force channel was seen.

Lead wire alligator clips were attached to the

frog to record the ECG. Positive- left forelimb;
Negative- Right forelimb; Earth- right hindlimb.

Autoscale" button was clicked from the

LabChart toolbox to scale all channels.

In LabChart, the Start button was clicked and

recording was done for 30 seconds.

Results and Discussion

Determination of baseline heart rate

Number of beats

Time differential

Calculated heart
rate

Heart rate from

data pad

32 beats

59.21 seconds

31.7460 BPM

31.4273 BPM

asdf

Baseline heart rate

The baseline heart rate or resting heart rate is the
number of contractions of the heart that occur in a single
minute while the body is at complete rest

The baseline heart rate of a frog is said to be 40-50 BPM

Amplitude and frequency of the heart beat varies
according to the size of the animal, the bigger the animal
the lesser the frequency
Temperature influences the heart rate of frogs
Frogs are ectotherms, animals that gains heat through
the environment
The heart rate of the frogs reflect their metabolic rate
which consequently increases with increasing body
temperature and vice versa

Baseline heart rate

Temperature influences the heart rate of frogs
In the experiment, the lower temperature in the
laboratory may have caused the baseline heart rate of
the frogs to become lower than normal
Changes in the environment influences the heart rate of
the frog
Changes in the general metabolism induces
bradycardia, or decreasing of the heart rate
Shortage of oxygen supply or an excess carbon
dioxide also induces bradycardia
Exposure to nitrogen may cause an immediate
tachycardia, or increasing heart rate

ECG

ECG
Representation
P wave

Atrial depolarization

PR
interval

Delay between atrial

depolarization and ventricular
activation

PR
segment

Conduction from the

atrioventricular (AV) node to
Purkinje fibers

QRS
complex

Ventricular depolarization

ST
segment

Electrical plateau of ventricular

activation

T wave

Ventricular repolarization

QT
interval

Time interval for ventricular

depolarization and repolarization

U wave

Late ventricular repolarization

ECG
Propagation of action potentials that causes the heart to
contract
The ECG trace repeats with every heart beat and shows
the compilation of electrical activity or action potential of
the heart
P wave
Represents atrial depolarization or atrial systole
A heart beat begins with an action potential signal from
the SA node
The signal spreads to both atria causing the muscles of
the atrium to depolarize and contract
Slow cell-to-cell atrial conduction spreads the
depolarization slower and gives the P wave a rounded
deflection

ECG
PR interval
Represents the time the impulse takes to reach the
ventricles from the SA node
Begins at the onset of the P wave and ends at the
onset of the QRS complex
Shows the delay between atrial depolarization and
ventricular activation
PR segment
Represents when the signal leaves the atria and enter
the ventricles though the AV node in the interatrial
septum, enters the bundle of His, and spreads through
the bundle branches, and the Purkinje fibers that are
found along the ventricle walls
Follows atrial systole and preceding ventricular systole

ECG
QRS complex
Represents the depolarization of the ventricles and
consequently ventricular systole
Immediately follows the P wave
The sharp deflection of the complex is due to the fast
electrical impulse conduction done by ventricular
conducting fibers, namely the bundle of His, bundle
branches, and the Purkinje fibers; and, the ventricular
muscle mass is greater than that of the atria
Q wave: is the downward deflection following the P
wave
R wave: is the first upward deflection following the P
wave
S wave: is the first downward deflection following the R
wave

ECG
QRS complex
Atrial repolarization is not visible because it coincides
with the onset of ventricular depolarization
ST segment
Represents the electrical plateau of ventricular activity
At this phase the ventricles are uniformly depolarized
This segment is said to be isoelectric for there is no net
electric charge or difference in electrical potential
T wave
Represents the ventricular repolarization,
consequently, ventricular diastole

and

ECG
T wave
Ventricular muscles recover from the influx of ions and
are returning to their resting state
At this point, more blood enters the ventricle in
preparation for its circulation into the arteries
QT interval
Represents the time interval for the ventricle to
depolarize and repolarize
U wave
Represents the late repolarization of the Purkinje or
ventricular conducting fibers
Is usually not seen on the ECG

ECG
An arrhythmia, also called dysrhythmia, is an irregular or
abnormal heartbeat

Types of arrhythmia:
Tachycardia: a fast heart rhythm
Bradycardia: a slow heart rhythm

Supraventricular arrhythmias: arrhythmias that begin

above the ventricles or in the atria
Ventricular arrhythmias: arrhythmias that begin in the
ventricles
Bradyarrhythmias: slow heart rhythms that may be caused
by disease in the hearts conduction system, such as the
SA node, atrioventricular AV node or HIS-Purkinje network

ECG
Terms:
Action potential:
activated

the point at which a cell becomes electrically

Polarized: the resting electrical state of a cell

Depolarization: change in electrical state of a cell due to the inflow
of positively charged ions

Repolarization: the return to the normal resting electrical state of a

cell following an action potential
Isoelectric: the phase wherein the electrical charges through the
heart are equal and there is no deflection that occurs on the ECG
trace
Systole: phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle contracts
and pumps blood
Diastole: phase of the heartbeat when the heart muscle relaxes
and allows the chambers to fill with blood

Guide Questions

What do you call the first sound heard as pressure is being

released from the cuff slowly? What does this sound
indicate?
The first sound heard is the systolic pressure. This
pressure indicates the pressure of the blood that is pumped
out by the heart where the blood starts flowing again in the
blood vessel after the flow has been disrupted by the
pressure applied on the sphygmomanometer cuff.

Describe the basis for the delay between the arterial and
ventricular contractions.
The delay between the arterial and ventricular contractions
is due to the delay of the impulse conducted by the AV
node to let the ventricle to be fully filled with blood and
making sure that the atrium has already emptied its
contents to the ventricle before ventricular contraction
occurs.

How did temperature affect heart rate? What do you

suppose is a consequence being a poikilotherm?
Heart rate, controlled primarily by different chemical
processes, increases as the temperature increases due to
the fact that temperature supplies heat and heat is
responsible for the atomic and molecular movement that
speeds up the reactions in the body. Poikilotherms, being
unable to regulate their own body temperature and adapt
only to their environment, cannot stabilize their metabolic
activities efficiently because of their inability to regulate
their own body temperature. Their heart rate can be very
active on high environmental temperatures but their heart
rate could also not be very active due to low temperature in
the environment.

What is Starlings Law of the Heart? Does your data

support this law?
Starlings Law of the Heart states that the heart has the
ability to change its force of contraction and therefore
stroke volume in response to changes in venous return,
simply put, as the heart wall increases in length more
volume of blood could be accommodated thus increasing
the stroke volume. The length-tension applied to the
ventricle stretches the cardiac sarcomere length thus
increasing the ventricular chamber therefore increasing the
stroke volume. Yes. The data obtained supports this law.

Describe the mechanisms by which the following drugs

affect heart rate:
A. Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine (Ach) is a neurotransmitter that binds to
muscarinic cholinergic receptors which in turn activates G
proteins that results to hyperpolarization. Then,
hyperpolarization allows the passage of K ions by opening
K channels and thereby closing Na and Ca channels. The
closing of the Na and Ca channels decreases the heart rate
significantly.

Describe the mechanisms by which the following drugs

affect heart rate:
B. Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter that binds to adrenergic
receptors such as 1 receptors which in turn activates
cAMP where the depolarization frequency increases. Then,
depolarization opens up Na and Ca channels permitting a
spontaneous entrance of Na and Ca ions. The entry of Na
and Ca ions generate an impulse that makes the heart rate
faster.

Describe the mechanisms by which the following drugs

affect heart rate:
C. Atropine & Acetylcholine
Atropine functions as cholinergic antagonist where it blocks
Acetylcholine receptors. If the Ach receptors are blocked,
the Ach neurotransmitter could not bind to muscarinic
cholinergic receptors that the process is halted before it
even began.

References
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Physiology of the
Circulatory
System:
The baseline heart rate
and ECG
DE LA PAZ | DUQUE | GALAROSA | GONZALES
Group 4
4 Biology 6