Below is a list that defines some of the terms commonly used here at Mouse Specifics, Inc. This list includes terms relevant to the ECGenie Clinic.
Atria: The smaller two chambers of the mammalian heart, responsible for filling the ventricles with blood
Cardiac Function: Relates usually only to the heart, and the heart as a contracting/relaxing muscle
Cardiovascular Function: Invokes not just the heart, but also the coronary vasculature [arteries and veins]
Complex: The qualitative shape of the ECG signal, usually comprised of a small amplitude P wave, followed by a larger QRS wave, followed by a reset or return to a reference line, before it repeats
Coronary: Relates to the heart, and usually to a blood vessel in the heart
ECG: Abbreviation for electrocardiogram
EKG: Old German and still utilized abbreviation for electrocardiogram
Electrocardiogram: The electrical signal generated by the heart as it contracts and relaxes
Electrocardiography: The recording and study of the ECG
Electrodes: The conductors through which the electrical signal (ECG) is obtained
Electrophysiology: The recording and study of ion exchange that contributes to the ECG
Heart: Central organ of animal
Heart Rate Variability: Describes the regularity of a heartbeat over time. Abbreviated HRV
Ion channels: Pathway that particular particles get into or out of a muscle cell that effects the ECG and resulting cardiac function
P wave: The beginning portion of an ECG waveform or complex, which represents conduction of the electrical signal through the atria
PQRST morphology: The shape of an ECG complex
Ventricles: The larger two chambers of the heart. The right ventricle pumps blood to the lungs, to receive fresh oxygenated blood. The left ventricle is the most important chamber of the heart, responsible for getting blood to the rest of the body