Optical monitoring of spontaneous electrical activity of 8-somite embryonic chick heart.
Using an optical method for measuring membrane potential, we monitored spontaneous action potential activity in the embryonic chick heart at the very early developmental stages, and found that spontaneous electrical activity was present at the developmental stage of 8 somites before the initiation of the heartbeat.
D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009200:Myocardial Contraction