Cardiac Cycle Animation and Diagram |
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A basic understanding of cardiac physiology is
essential to interpreting the physical finding during a cardiac exam.
Each pump or beat of the heart consists of two parts or phases -
diastole and systole. During diastole the ventricles are filling and the atria contract. Then during systole , the ventricles contract while the atria are relaxed and filling. A more detailed understanding of the of cardiac physiology can be obtained by examining in detail the simultaneous pressure characteristics in the aorta, left atrium (atrium) and left ventricle (ventricle) through one cardiac cycle. |