Which part of the heart conducts the electrical impulse first?

The heart's electrical conduction system is critical for initiating and regulating heartbeats. The SA Node, or sinoatrial node, is recognized as the natural pacemaker of the heart. It is located in the right atrium and is responsible for generating electrical impulses that initiate each heartbeat. This impulse causes the atria to contract and pump blood into the ventricles.

The SA Node has a higher intrinsic firing rate than any other pacemaker cell in the conduction pathway, which is why it leads to the contraction of the heart muscles. The electrical impulses from the SA Node then travel to the AV Node, Bundle of HIS, and Purkinje fibers sequentially, but it is the SA Node that starts the process. This quintessential role of the SA Node in controlling the heart's rhythm underlines why it is the first part of the heart that conducts electrical impulses.