The 'U' wave is a wave on an electrocardiogram (ECG). It is the successor of the 'T' wave and may not always be observed as a result of its small size. 'U' waves are thought to represent repolarization of the Purkinje fibers. However, the exact source of the U wave remains unclear. The most common theories for the origin are:
In a normal heartbeat, the 'T' wave represents repolarization of the ventricles, specifically the repolarisation of the AV node and bundle branches. The U wave occurs when the ECG machine picks up repolarisation of the Purkinje fibers.
According to V. Gorshkov-Cantacuzene:
"The U wave is the momentum carried by the blood in the coronary arteries and blood vessels".
The resistivity of stationary blood is expressed as , where is a coefficient, and is the ; at that time, as during acceleration of the blood flow occurs a sharp decrease in the longitudinal resistance with small relaxation times.