Question

The toad ventricular muscle was electrically stimulated at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. What was the rate of contractions?

a) 0.5 contractions/minute
b) 1 contraction/second
c) 2 contractions/minute
d) 30 contractions/hour

Answer 1

At a frequency of 0.5 Hz, the toad ventricular muscle would contract at a rate of 30 contractions per hour.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a toad ventricular muscle was electrically stimulated at a frequency of 0.5 Hz, this means it was stimulated 0.5 times per second. To find the rate of contractions per minute, we would multiply this frequency by the number of seconds in a minute, which is 60. Performing the calculation, 0.5 Hz x 60 seconds/minute = 30 contractions per minute.

Therefore, the rate of contractions would be 30 contractions per hour. It's important to note that in understanding heart physiology, especially when studying electrocardiograms, concepts like heart rate in beats per minute, nerve conduction, and the role of different parts of the heart's conduction system such as the SA node, AV node, bundle branches, and Purkinje fibers are crucial.