A-level Biology: The Cardiac

cycle
Starter: Describe the route the blood
takes in the double circulatory system. [3
marks]

What is the cardiac cycle?

Cycle undertaken by the heart consisting of two phases, these phases
being contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole).

Contraction occurs separately in the atria and the ventricles, so the cycle
occurs in two stages.

Diastole: relaxation

Systole: contraction

The Stages of the cardiac cycle

The cardiac cycle occurs in 3 stages:

Cardiac diastole

Atrial systole

Ventricular systole

A-level Biology: The Cardiac cycle 1

 Stage 1 - Relaxation of the heart
Blood returns to the atria from the body and the lungs As the atria fill,
pressure rises.

When pressure exceeds that in the ventricles then the AV valves open and
blood is passed into the ventricles.

Blood passage is aided by gravity. Ventricle walls are relaxed at this point

Stage 2 – Contraction of the Atria

The atrial walls contract, along with the ventricle walls recoiling forces
blood into the ventricles from the atria.

Throughout this stage the ventricle walls remain relaxed.

Stage 3 - Contraction of the Ventricles

Short delay happens which allow the ventricles to fill.

After the short delay the ventricles contract together.

Contraction increases ventricular pressure.

The increase in ventricular pressure forces the AV valves shut.

A-level Biology: The Cardiac cycle 2

 With these valves closed, ventricular pressure rises quicker.

Once ventricular pressure exceeds aorta and pulmonary artery pressure

the blood is forced into these vessels.

The ventricular walls contract which again builds pressure that forces the
movement of blood around the whole of the body.

Left ventricle to the body, right ventricle to the lungs.

The valves
Valves ensure blood flow only happens in one direction.

Blood always moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low

pressure. Pressure is generated by the cardiac muscle.

Pressure gradients are not always available in the body to aid blood flow,
so valves ensure the blood moves the right way.

AV and SL are found in the heart.

When do the Valves open and close?

The cardiac cycle on a graph

A-level Biology: The Cardiac cycle 3

 Questions
The cardiac cycle is the term used to describe the process of contraction and
relaxation of the cardiac tissue.

 When the atria contract what happens to the pressure and volume in the
atria? 2 marks)

 What happens immediately after atrial contraction? 2 marks)

 Describe what happens as the ventricles contract? 3 marks)

 How the heart functions can be measured in a number of different ways.

What is meant by the term stroke volume? 1 mark)

 An athlete has a cardiac output of 8750 ml per minute and a resting heart
rate of 70 beats per minute. What is their stroke volume? 2 marks)

 The cardiac cycle can be depicted using the graph show below. Label
sections A, B & C to identify whether the atria and ventricles are in systole
or diastole. 3 marks)

A-level Biology: The Cardiac cycle 4

 Answers

 The volume decreases and the pressure increases.

 Blood is forced through the atrioventricular valves - Ventricles fill with

blood

 The increase in pressure causes the atrioventricular valves to close -

Semilunar valves are forced open as the pressure is higher in the ventricles
than the aorta/pulmonary artery - Blood is forced out of the ventricles into
the aorta and pulmonary artery

 Volume of blood pumped per heart- beat

 stroke volume = 125cm3 1 mark for answer, 1 mark for correct unit)

 A – Ventricles relaxed (ventricular diastole) and atria contracted (atrial

systole).
B – Ventricles contract and atria relax

C – Ventricles relaxed, and atria contracted

Exam practice

A-level Biology: The Cardiac cycle 5

 Answers

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