cardiac cycle

cardiac cycle
cardiac cycle n the complete sequence of events in the heart from the beginning of one beat to the beginning of the following beat: a complete heartbeat including systole and diastole

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the sequence of events between one heartbeat and the next, normally occupying less than a second. The atria contract simultaneously and force blood into the relaxed ventricles. The ventricles then contract very strongly and pump blood out through the aorta and pulmonary artery. During ventricular contraction, the atria relax and fill up again with blood. See diastole, systole.

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a complete cardiac movement or heart beat. The period from the beginning of one heart beat to the beginning of the next; the systolic and diastolic movement, with the interval between them. See illustration.

Events of the cardiac cycle. For the meaning of symbols, see individual entries and see illustrations at electrocardiogram and venous pulse.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

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