Cardiac cycle

The repeating pattern of contraction and

relaxation of the heart is called cardiac cycle.
It consists of two events –
(i) Systole – contraction on heart chambers
(either atrium or ventricles) is known as systole.

(ii) Diastole – relaxation of heart chambers

(either atrium or ventricles) is known as diastole
EVENTS OF CARDIAC CYCLE
 Blood flows from vena cava and pulmonary artery and fills
left and right atria respectively.
 Pressure in atria increases which causes opening of AV
valves and blood flows into ventricles (semilunar valves
are closed to prevent back flow of blood).
 SAN generates action potential (impulse) which stimulates
atrial contraction – atrial systole
 This increases the blood flow by 30% .
 Now the pressure in both the ventricles is increasing.
 As soon as the impulse reaches the ventricles, they undergo
contraction – ventricular systole.
 At this time relaxation of atria occurs – atrial diastole.
•The ventricular systole causes opening of
semilunar valves. (at this time the AV valve
remains closed)
•Due to this, the blood flow from left and right
ventricles to pulmonary artery and aorta
respectively.
•The blood gets circulated in the entire body.
•Now the ventricles relax – ventricular
diastole.
•At this time, both atria and ventricles are in
relaxed state – joint diastole.
DURATIONS
 Duration of one cardiac diastole is 0.4 seconds.
 atrial systole occurs for 0.1 seconds.
 ventricular systole occurs for 0.3 seconds.
 Thus one complete cardiac cycle occurs in 0.8 seconds.