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The Cardiovascular System

The cardiac cycle and conduction system

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 01

Overview

Diastole, atrial systole and ventricular systole, the timing of a 0.8-second cycle, the myogenic heart, the sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, bundle of His and Purkinje fibres, and the valves that stop backflow.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Trace one heartbeat through the conduction system and link it to the cardiac cycle.

Key term

What is the cardiac cycle?

Key term

What happens during diastole?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is the cardiac cycle?

    Model answer

    The cardiac cycle is the sequence of events in one complete heartbeat. The cycle has a relaxation phase called diastole and a contraction phase called systole.

  2. 2

    What happens during diastole?

    Model answer

    Diastole is the relaxation phase in which the atria and ventricles fill with blood. The atrioventricular valves are open and the semilunar valves are closed.

  3. 3

    What happens during atrial systole?

    Model answer

    The atria contract and push the remaining blood into the ventricles. The atrioventricular valves stay open while the semilunar valves stay closed.

  4. 4

    What happens during ventricular systole?

    Model answer

    The ventricles contract, closing the atrioventricular valves and forcing the semilunar valves open. Blood is ejected into the aorta and the pulmonary artery.

  5. 5

    How long does one cardiac cycle last at a heart rate of 75 bpm?

    Model answer

    Each cardiac cycle lasts 0.8 seconds. The time per beat is 60 s ÷ 75 = 0.8 s.

  6. 6

    How is a 0.8-second cardiac cycle at rest divided between diastole and systole?

    Model answer

    Diastole takes about 0.5 seconds and systole about 0.3 seconds at rest. The longer diastole gives the ventricles time to fill.

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