Define the cardiac cycle.

Prepare for the Anatomy and Physiology II Exam with comprehensive questions and detailed explanations. Gain confidence with our tailored quizzes and maximize your exam performance!

Multiple Choice

Define the cardiac cycle.

The cardiac cycle is the complete sequence of electrical and mechanical events that repeats with every heartbeat, beginning at the onset of one heartbeat and ending at the onset of the next. It encompasses atrial systole, ventricular systole, and the relaxation phase (diastole), linking the timing of electrical activity (ECG waves) with the heart’s pumping actions. This definition fits because it sets the cycle length as the interval between the start of one beat and the start of the next, which naturally includes all phases of contraction and relaxation. The other descriptions miss parts of the picture: ending at the next heartbeat’s end isn’t the standard measure, the cycle isn’t defined merely by a millisecond duration (it varies with heart rate), and focusing only on relaxation covers just diastole, not the entire cycle.

The cardiac cycle is the complete sequence of electrical and mechanical events that repeats with every heartbeat, beginning at the onset of one heartbeat and ending at the onset of the next. It encompasses atrial systole, ventricular systole, and the relaxation phase (diastole), linking the timing of electrical activity (ECG waves) with the heart’s pumping actions. This definition fits because it sets the cycle length as the interval between the start of one beat and the start of the next, which naturally includes all phases of contraction and relaxation. The other descriptions miss parts of the picture: ending at the next heartbeat’s end isn’t the standard measure, the cycle isn’t defined merely by a millisecond duration (it varies with heart rate), and focusing only on relaxation covers just diastole, not the entire cycle.

More practice questions