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Are there neurons in the human heart?

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Max Hodak gave a very clear and easy to understand answer to this question, but I'd like to add some information. There are two types of cardiac myocytes (or cardiomyocytes): contractile cells and conducting cells. The contractile myocytes form the bulk of the heart wall. read more

Back to heart cells: cardiomyocytes are excitable cells, just like neurons. However, the action potentials they produce are very different than the action potentials produced by neurons. Further, in cardiac cells the purpose of action potentials is mostly to power the heart's mechanical activity by causing contraction of the muscle fibers, and synchronize these contractions between cells. read more

A recent review of the evidence indicates that the heart contains a complex intrinsic nervous system comprised of multiple ganglia (clusters of neurons) that network with each other. None of this means that the heart has a mind. It takes more than neurons, or even a system of neurons, to form a mind. read more

Neurologist Dr. Andrew Amour from Montreal in Canada discovered a sophisticated collection of neurons in the heart organised into a small but complex nervous system. The heart’s nervous system contains around 40,000 neurons called sensory neurites that communicate with the brain. Dr. Amour called it “the Little Brain in the Heart”. read more

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