Purkinje fibers


The Purkinje fibers (/pərˈkɪndʒiː/ pər-KIN-jee) (Purkinje tissue or subendocardial branches) are located in the inner ventricular walls of the heart, just beneath the endocardium in a space called the subendocardium. The Purkinje fibers are specialised conducting fibers larger than cardiomyocytes with fewer myofibrils and a large number of mitochondria that are able to conduct cardiac action potentials more quickly and efficiently than any other cells in the heart. Purkinje fibers allow the heart's conduction system to create synchronized contractions of its ventricles, and are, therefore, essential for maintaining a consistent heart rhythm.