The Cardiac Cycle
- 1. The cardiac cycle Describing the sequence of events in one heart beat
- 2. Definitions Systole = period of ventricular contraction. Diastole = period of ventricular relaxation. NOTE: Normally diastole is longer than systole.
- 3. Cardiac cycle General Principles. Contraction of the myocardium generates pressure changes which result in the orderly movement of blood. Blood flows from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure , unless flow is blocked by a valve. Events on the right and left sides of the heart are the same, but pressures are lower on the right.
- 4. Atrial systole The heart is full of blood and the ventricles are relaxed Both the atria contract and blood passes down to the ventricles The atrio-ventricular valves open due to blood pressure 70% of the blood flows passively down to the ventricles so the atria do not have to contract a great amount.
- 5. Ventricular systole The atria relax. The ventricle walls contract, forcing the blood out The pressure of the blood forces the atrio-ventricular valves to shut (producing the heart sound ‘lub’)
- 6. Ventricular systole The pressure of blood opens the semi-lunar valves. Blood passes into the aorta and pulmonary arteries.
- 7. Diastole The ventricles relax Pressure in the ventricles falls below that in the arteries Blood under high pressure in the arteries causes the semi lunar valves to shut. This produces the second heart sound, ‘dub’. During diastole, all the muscle in the heart relaxes.
- 8. Blood from the vena cava and pulmonary veins enter the atria. The whole cycle starts again.
- 10. Cardiac cycle Match the letter on the graph to the following events Semi-lunar valves open Atrio-ventricular valves close, Semi-lunar valves close Atrio-ventricular valves open
- 12. atrio-ventricular valves open atrio-ventricular valves close
- 13. atrio-ventricular valves open atrio-ventricular valves close semi-lunar valves open
- 14. atrio-ventricular valves open atrio-ventricular valves close semi-lunar valves open semi-lunar valves close