Wonder what happens when the patient has multiple pacing nodes - does it organise to make one (correct!) or go back to having ectopic nodes (oh dear). Pretty impressive either way, but the research mountain here must be huge.
In theory, whichever node depolarized first would trigger the depolarization of the second node.
So whichever node has a faster intrinsic rate would be the primary node.
This reply is addressed to Ars as well as both points are good and similar. I assume you both mean that synchronization occurs across the infected cells? Or do you mean that it occurs across the patient's heart whether or not infected? Ectopic nodes seem to fire randomly or upon certain triggers/stressor and thereby lose synchronization (otherwise how would one a patient be diagnosed). It would be handy if the virus rewired poorly wired hearts to be better.
I'm pretty sure they self synchronize. I remember reading about how they grew some pacemaker cells in a dish, and the cells spontaneously organized themself and started firing together.
Shoot, we're getting closer and closer to having in real life Fry's parasitic nematodes who continually improve his body...