The electrical system of the heart is a part of the heart itself. Our heartbeat comes from the sinoatrial (SA) node which sends its electrical impulse down two branches to initiate a contraction which begins at the bottom of the ventricles and twists like a wet towel being rung-out. So heartbeat itself is inherent to the heart.
The sympathetic chain and the vagus nerve (parasympathetic) are the brains impulse controls, but the heart will beat spontaneously. Furthermore, every cardiac cell has the ability to be a back-up pacemaker to the SA node, and heart cells in a Petri dish (ex vivo) will spontaneously find a rhythm.
PS: The best answer would come from an electrophysiologist (cardiologist), but I imagine that the biggest change in heart rate after transplant would come from from the recipient’s sympathetic/parasympathetics, and the many factors which affect them which will change with time.
BrakeFastBurrito t1_iydumji wrote
Reply to Do people that have heart transplants have their own heartbeat, or the donors, or a new heartbeat all together? by KamikazeBrand
The electrical system of the heart is a part of the heart itself. Our heartbeat comes from the sinoatrial (SA) node which sends its electrical impulse down two branches to initiate a contraction which begins at the bottom of the ventricles and twists like a wet towel being rung-out. So heartbeat itself is inherent to the heart.
The sympathetic chain and the vagus nerve (parasympathetic) are the brains impulse controls, but the heart will beat spontaneously. Furthermore, every cardiac cell has the ability to be a back-up pacemaker to the SA node, and heart cells in a Petri dish (ex vivo) will spontaneously find a rhythm.
PS: The best answer would come from an electrophysiologist (cardiologist), but I imagine that the biggest change in heart rate after transplant would come from from the recipient’s sympathetic/parasympathetics, and the many factors which affect them which will change with time.