Question

The area under the curve of the P wave is quite a bit smaller than the QRS and T wave deflections. Why?

a) Differences in electrical activity
b) Differences in blood pressure
c) Differences in heart rate
d) Differences in lung capacity

Answer 1

The P wave in an ECG represents the depolarization and contraction of the atria, while the QRS complex represents the depolarization of the ventricles and the T wave represents the repolarization. The smaller area under the P wave is due to differences in electrical activity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The P wave in an ECG represents the depolarization and contraction of the atria as they pump blood into the ventricles, while the QRS complex represents the depolarization of the ventricles as they pump blood to the lungs and body, and the T wave represents the repolarization of the ventricles.

The area under the curve of the P wave is smaller than the QRS and T wave deflections due to differences in electrical activity. The electrical signal generated during atrial depolarization is weaker compared to the signal generated during ventricular depolarization, which leads to the smaller area under the P wave.