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pacemaker

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pacemaker

In vertebrates, a group of muscle cells in the wall of the heart that contracts spontaneously and rhythmically, setting the pace for the contractions of the rest of the heart. The pacemaker's intrinsic rate of contraction is increased or decreased, according to the needs of the body, by stimulation from the autonomic nervous system. The term also refers to a medical device implanted under the skin of a patient whose heart beats inefficiently. It delivers minute electric shocks to stimulate the heart muscles at regular intervals and restores normal heartbeat.

The latest pacemakers are powered by radioactive isotopes for long life and weigh no more than 15 g/0.5 oz.



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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
A man in white clothes, who could only be the surviving half- breed, was running as one does run when Death is the pacemaker.
The Lost World by Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan View in context
You might easily pick out these pacemakers, for they worked under the eye of the bosses, and they worked like men possessed.
The Jungle by Sinclair, Upton View in context
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