How Do You Spell BATHMOTROPIC?
Pronunciation: [bˌaθmətɹˈɒpɪk] (IPA) 
Correct spelling for the English word "bathmotropic" is [bˌaθmətɹˈɒpɪk], [bˌaθmətɹˈɒpɪk], [b_ˌa_θ_m_ə_t_ɹ_ˈɒ_p_ɪ_k] (IPA phonetic alphabet).
Pronunciation: [bˌaθmətɹˈɒpɪk] (IPA)
Correct spelling for the English word "bathmotropic" is [bˌaθmətɹˈɒpɪk], [bˌaθmətɹˈɒpɪk], [b_ˌa_θ_m_ə_t_ɹ_ˈɒ_p_ɪ_k] (IPA phonetic alphabet).
Bathmotropic is an adjective used in the field of physiology and medicine to describe the effect or potential of a chemical substance or physiological factor to affect the conduction or excitability of cardiac or nerve tissues. Specifically, it refers to the substance's ability to alter the threshold potential required for the initiation of an action potential.
In the context of cardiac physiology, bathmotropic agents are substances or factors that influence the threshold potential of cardiac muscle cells, thereby either enhancing or decreasing their ability to generate action potentials. This, in turn, impacts the contractile force and rate of the heart. Substances or conditions that have a positive bathmotropic effect increase the threshold potential, requiring a stronger depolarization signal to initiate an action potential. On the other hand, substances or conditions that have a negative bathmotropic effect lower the threshold potential, making it easier for a cardiac cell to initiate an action potential.
The precise mechanisms by which bathmotropic agents exert their effects can vary. They may directly modify ion channels involved in membrane depolarization or hyperpolarization, influence the balance of intracellular calcium levels, or affect the release and reuptake of neurotransmitters involved in cardiac and nervous tissue excitability.
Understanding the bathmotropic properties of different substances is essential in the fields of pharmacology and cardioelectrophysiology, as it allows for the development of medications and treatments that can modulate the conduction properties of cardiac tissue or alter nerve cell excitability in various physiological and pathological conditions.
Influencing nervous and muscular excitability in response to stimuli.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "bathmotropic" is rooted in the field of medicine and physiology, specifically within cardiology. The term is derived from the Greek words "bathmos", meaning "step" or "degree", and "tropos", meaning "turn" or "change".
In cardiology, "bathmotropic" refers to the property or capacity of a drug or agent to affect the excitability or conductivity of the heart muscle, particularly in relation to rhythmic contractions. Drugs that have a bathmotropic effect can influence the speed or strength of the heart's contractions by affecting the electrical signals or processes involved in the cardiac cycle.
