Monitoring Activity of the Heart (Cambridge O Level Biology)

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Monitoring Activity of the Heart

  • Heart activity can be monitored by using an ECG, measuring pulse rate or listening to the sounds of valves closing using a stethoscope
  • Heart rate (and pulse rate) is measured in beats per minute (bpm)

Measuring pulse diagram

taking pulse measurement

Pulse can be detected where an artery passes over a bone, such as the radial artery (in the wrist) and the carotid artery (in the neck)

stethoscope-measuring-heart-rateCC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A stethoscope can be used to listen for heartbeats in order to calculate pulse rate

wearable heart rate monitor

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Many wearable devices, such as this fitness watch, can record pulse rate

  • To investigate the effects of exercise on heart rate, record the pulse rate at rest for a minute
  • Immediately after exercise, record the pulse rate every minute until it returns to the resting rate
  • This experiment will show that during exercise the heart rate increases and may take several minutes to return to normal

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Lára

Author: Lára

Expertise: Biology Lead

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.