The pacemaker of the human heart is the

  • A. atrioventricular node
  • B. bundle of His
  • C. sinoatrial node in the wall of the right atrium
  • D. network of Purkinje fibres

Explanation

The sinoatrial node depolarises spontaneously about seventy times a minute and sets the rhythm, which is why the heartbeat is myogenic and a heart continues beating when removed from the body. The atrioventricular node can also fire on its own but at a slower rate, so it takes over only if the sinoatrial node fails. The bundle of His and the Purkinje fibres conduct the impulse rather than generate it.

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