The cardiac cycle describes the mechanical and electrical events of the heart during one complete heartbeat. It includes atrial and ventricular relaxation and filling followed by contraction and ejection. The normal cardiac cycle is approximately 0.8 seconds long and divided into systole which is 1/3 of the cycle and diastole which is 2/3. It involves phases such as isovolumetric contraction, ejection, isovolumetric relaxation and filling. Events in the cardiac cycle produce the four characteristic heart sounds.