Phases of the Cardiac Cycle

All the events associated with the flow of blood through the heart during
a single complete heartbeat (approx 0.8sec if heart rate is 75bpm)
One heart beat may be divided into two sequential phases:
Diastole
Period of cardiac relaxation
Often an implied time of refilling, despite period of isovolumetric
relaxation
Systole
Period of cardiac contraction
Often an implied time of ejection, despite period of isovolumetric
contraction

Each phase may be applied to both atria and ventricles, therefore the
sequence of events (which may overlap) are:
atrial diastole ventricular diastole atrial systole ventricular
systole
 Phases of the Cardiac Cycle
Revise:
Cardiac anatomy
Action of valves
Valves open passively due to pressure gradients

AV valves open when P atria > P ventricles

Semilunar valves open when P ventricles > P arteries

Cardiac Cycle:
Mechanical Phases
1 Late diastole: both sets of
START chambers are relaxed and
ventricles fill passively.

Isovolumic ventricular
5 relaxation: as ventricles
2 Atrial systole: atrial contraction
relax, pressure in ventricles forces a small amount of
falls, blood flows back into additional blood into ventricles.
cups of semilunar valves
and snaps them closed.

Isovolumic ventricular
Ventricular ejection: 3 contraction: first phase of
4 as ventricular pressure
ventricular contraction pushes
rises and exceeds AV valves closed but does not
pressure in the arteries, create enough pressure to open
the semilunar valves semilunar valves.
open and blood is
ejected.

Silverthorn,
Silverthorn, fig 14-24, step 1-5
Ventricular Volume and Stroke
Volume

EDV = end diastolic volume = volume of blood in ventricle at end of diastole

ESV = end systolic volume = volume of blood in ventricle at end of systole
SV = stroke volume = volume of blood ejected from heart each cycle
SV = EDV - ESV

130 mL 70 mL = 60 mL
Cardiac Cycle:
Pressure-Volume curve/loop
KEY
EDV = End-diastolic volume
ESV = End-systolic volume

Stroke volume
120
D
Left ventricular pressure (mm Hg)

ESV

80 C
One
cardiac
cycle

40
EDV

B
A

0 65 100 135
Left ventricular volume (mL)

Silverthorn,
Silverthorn, fig 14-25, (4 of 4)
Wigger Diagram

Time (msec)
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Electro- QRS Cardiac cycle QRS

cardiogram complex complex
(ECG) P T P

Atrial Ventricular Ventricular Atrial

systole systole diastole systole

Atrial systole Isovolumic Ventricular Early Late Atrial

ventricular systole ventricular ventricular systole
contraction diastole diastole

Silverthorn,
Silverthorn, fig 14-26, (1 of 13)
Wigger Diagram
Time (msec)
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
Electro- QRS QRS
complex Cardiac cycle complex
cardiogram
(ECG) P T P

120

90 Aorta Dicrotic
Pressure notch
(mm Hg)
Left
60 ventricular
pressure
Left atrial
30 pressure

Heart S1 S2
sounds
135
Left
ventricular
volume
(mL) 65
Atrial Ventricular Ventricular Atrial
systole systole diastole systole

Atrial systole Isovolumic Ventricular Early Late Atrial

ventricular systole ventricular ventricular systole
contraction diastole diastole

Silverthorn,
Silverthorn, fig 14-26, (13 of 13)
Boron & Boulpaep,
Boulpaep, fig 21-1