Cardiac Cycle

Cardiac Cycle

• The cardiac cycle describes the series of events that take place in the heart over the duration of a single heartbeat
  • it is comprised of a period of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole) 

Systole

• Blood returning to the heart will flow into the atria and ventricles as the pressure in them is lower (due to the low volume of blood)
• When ventricles are ~70% full, atria will contract (atrial systole), increasing pressure in the atria and forcing blood…