CARDIAC CYCLE

• The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels.

• The heart is a muscular pump that provides the drive for blood to flow.
• Blood vessels are the hollow "pipes" through which the blood flows.

• Together they work to circulate blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and
nutrients to body cells and removing their wastes.

The Cardiac Cycle

- A cardiac cycle includes the changes within the heart from the start of one heartbeat to
the next
- Coordinated contraction and relaxation of heart chambers produces blood flow through
the pulmonary and systematic circulation to meet the body’s needs.
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Systole and Diastole

- The cardiac cycle includes changes within the heart from the start of one heartbeat to
the next
- Heart chambers cycle through periods of contraction (systole) and relaxation (diastole)
while valves ensure a one-way flow of blood.
- Atrial systole occurs just before ventricular systole, which results in the ejection of
blood. This is followed by a period where all four chambers are in diastole as one
cardiac cycle ends and the next one begins.

• Overview of Heart Anatomy: Chambers and Valves

• The heart contains four hollow chambers: two atria and two ventricles.

• Atria - relatively small chambers that receive blood from the body or
lungs
• Ventricles - relatively large chambers that pump blood to the body
or lungs

• The right side of the heart (right atrium and right ventricle) receives deoxygenated
blood from the body and pumps it to the lungs.
• The left side of the heart (left atrium and left ventricle) receives oxygenated blood
from the lungs and pumps it to the body.
• The heart contains two sets of valves: two atrioventricular (AV) valves and two
semilunar valves.

• AV valves - include the right AV valve and left AV valve; located between
the atrium and ventricle of each side of the heart
• Semilunar valves - include the pulmonary semilunar valve and aortic
semilunar valve; located between each ventricle and its associated arterial
trunk
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Overview of Heart anatomy and blood flow

Blood Flow Through the Heart

• The majority of the heart wall is composed of cardiac muscle. Contraction of this
muscle generates pressure that drives the flow of blood.
• Heart valves ensure the one-way flow of blood by opening when blood moves "forward"
and closing when blood begins to move "backward."
• Summary of blood flow:
• From body cells → right atrium → right AV valve → right ventricle → pulmonary
semilunar valve → to lungs → left atrium → left AV valve → left ventricle → aortic
semilunar valve → to body cells

Cardiac Conduction System

• The conduction system consists of cardiac muscle cells specialized to initiate

and conduct electrical signals:
• Sinoatrial (SA) node
• Atrioventricular (AV) node
• Atrioventricular (AV) bundle and bundle branches
• Purkinje fibers
• The heart stimulates itself to contract, but heart rate and contraction strength are
regulated by the autonomic nervous system.
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Cardiac conduction system

The Cardiac Cycle and Electrocardiogram

• A cardiac cycle includes the changes within the heart from the start of one
heartbeat to the next.
• Each cardiac cycle involves coordinated periods of contraction (systole) and
relaxation (diastole) of the heart chambers.
• Phases of the cardiac cycle:
• Atrial relaxation and ventricular filling
• Atrial contraction and ventricular filling
• Isovolumic contraction
• Ventricular ejection
• Isovolumic relaxation
• An electrocardiogram (ECG) records the electrical changes that occur during a
cardiac cycle.
• Major components of an ECG:
• P wave
• P-Q segment
• QRS complex
• S-T segment
• T wave

Atrium
Superior chambers of the heart, including the right atrium and left atrium.

Ventricles
Inferior chambers of the heart, including the right ventricle and left ventricle.

Deoxygenated blood
Oxygen-poor blood returning to the heart after unloading oxygen and nutrients to body
cells.

Atrioventricular (AV) valves

• Right AV valve (tricuspid valve)

Located between the right atrium and right ventricle.
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• Left AV valve (mitral valve, bicuspid valve)

Located between the left atrium and left ventricle.

Semilunar (SL) valves

• Pulmonary semilunar valve (pulmonary valve)

Located at the junction of the right ventricle and pulmonary trunk.
• Aortic semilunar valve (aortic valve)
Located at the junction of the left ventricle and aorta.

Arterial trunks
Large arteries emerging from heart that receive blood ejected from the ventricles.

• Pulmonary trunk
Receives blood from right ventricle; divides into pulmonary arteries, which
transport blood to the lungs.
• Aorta
Receives blood from left ventricle; delivers blood to the body by way of its
many branches.

Cardiac conduction system

Specialized cells that initiate and conduct electrical signals (action potentials).

• Sinoatrial (SA) node (pacemaker)

Group of cells located in the posterior wall of the right atrium; spontaneously
generates the action potential to initiate each heartbeat.
• Atrioventricular (AV) node
Group of cells located in the floor of the right atrium.
• Atrioventricular (AV) bundle (bundle of His)
Extends from the AV node and into the interventricular septum; divides into left
and right bundle branches.
• Purkinje fibers
Extend from bundle branches beginning at apex of heart; continue through
walls of ventricles.

Systole
Contraction of a heart chamber.

Diastole
Relaxation of a heart chamber.
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Cardiac cycle
Changes within the heart from the start of one heartbeat to the next.

• Atrial relaxation and ventricular filling

Atria and ventricles are relaxed while blood passively fills the ventricles.
• Atrial contraction and ventricular filling
Atria contract to complete filling of the ventricles.
• Isovolumic contraction
Brief period where ventricles are contracting but there is no change in blood
volume; all four valves are closed.
• Ventricular ejection
Ventricles continue to contract and blood moves from the ventricles into the
arterial trunks.
• Isovolumic relaxation
Brief period where ventricles are relaxing but there is no change in blood
volume; all four valves are closed.

Stroke volume (SV)

Volume of blood ejected from a ventricle during a single cardiac cycle.

End-diastolic volume (EDV)

Volume of blood in a ventricle after filling is complete.

End-systolic volume (ESV)

Volume of blood remaining in a ventricle after ventricular ejection

Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)

Composite recording of electrical activity in the heart.

• P wave
Corresponds to atrial depolarization.
• P-Q segment
Flat portion of the ECG between the P and Q waveforms; there is no electrical
activity during this time, but the atria are contracting.
• QRS complex
Corresponds to ventricular depolarization and atrial repolarization.
• S-T segment
Flat portion of the ECG between the S and T waveforms; there is no electrical
activity during this time, but the ventricles are contracting.
• T wave
Corresponds to ventricular repolarization