The Sinoatrial Node (also known as the sinuatrial node, SA node or sinus node) is an oval shaped region of special cardiac muscle in the upper back wall of the right atrium made up of cells known as pacemaker cells. The Sinus Node is approximately fifteen mm long, three mm wide, and one mm thick, located directly below and to the side of the superior vena cava.
These cells can produce an electrical impulse an action potential known as a cardiac action potential that travels through the electrical conduction system of the heart, causing it to contract. In a healthy heart, the SA node continuously produces action potentials, setting the rhythm of the heart (sinus rhythm), and so is known as the heart’s natural pacemaker. The rate of action potentials produced (and therefore the heart rate) is influenced by the nerves that supply it.