Unit 1 - Cardiac Cycle

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  • The Cardiac Cycle
    • A sequence that contains contractions (systole) and relaxations (diastole) of the atria and ventricles
      • Volumes of atria and ventricles change as they contract and relax
        • Pressure changes also occurs due to changes in the chamber volumes
    • Three stages of the Cardiac Cycle
      • Stage 1: Ventricular diastole, atrial systole
        • Ventricles relaxed
          • Atria contracts, decreases volume of the chambers (blood is being squeeze out) and increases the pressure
            • Pushes blood into ventricles
              • Slight increase in ventricular press and chamber volume
      • Stage 2: Ventricular systole, atrial diastole
        • Atria relaxed
          • Ventricles contract, decreasing volume and increasing pressure in the chamber
            • Pressure is now highest in the ventricles, so the valves snap shut
              • Pressure in the ventricles is higher than the aorta and pulmonary artery, therefore the SL valve between opens, blood is forced out
      • Stage 3: Cardiac diastole
        • Both Ventricles and Atria relaxed
          • Higher pressure in the pulmonary artery closes the SL valve, preventing backflow
            • Blood flows back into the heart and starts to fill the atria again
              • Atria pressure starts to increase
                • Ventricles still relaxed
                  • Ventricular pressure falls below the pressure in the atria, opening the AV valves
                    • Blood flows passively from the atria into the ventricles
                      • Process restarts!

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