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Multiple Choice

What is the intrinsic firing rate of the Purkinje fibers?

Intrinsic firing rate is the rate at which a pacemaker tissue can generate impulses on its own when not driven by higher centers. In the heart, the SA node is the primary pacemaker and typically sets the pace around 60–100 beats per minute. The AV node can take over at a slower rate, roughly 40–60 bpm. The Purkinje fiber network, which is further downstream in the conduction system, has the slowest automaticity, about 20–40 bpm. This slower rate acts as a safety backup if the higher pacemakers fail, but it also means the ventricles beat at a slower pace under such escape rhythms. Hence, the intrinsic firing rate of Purkinje fibers is 20–40 bpm.

Intrinsic firing rate is the rate at which a pacemaker tissue can generate impulses on its own when not driven by higher centers. In the heart, the SA node is the primary pacemaker and typically sets the pace around 60–100 beats per minute. The AV node can take over at a slower rate, roughly 40–60 bpm. The Purkinje fiber network, which is further downstream in the conduction system, has the slowest automaticity, about 20–40 bpm. This slower rate acts as a safety backup if the higher pacemakers fail, but it also means the ventricles beat at a slower pace under such escape rhythms. Hence, the intrinsic firing rate of Purkinje fibers is 20–40 bpm.