Blood Pressure and Cardiac Cycle Flashcards

Flashcards about blood pressure, blood vessels, cardiac cycle, and related concepts.

Blood Pressure

The force exerted by blood on blood vessel walls.

Veins

Blood vessels with slow speed, wide width, and low pressure.

Arteries

Blood vessels with high speed, medium width, and high pressure.

Capillaries

Blood vessels with medium speed, narrow width, and medium pressure.

Vasoconstriction

The process where blood vessels contract to become narrow, reducing blood flow to certain areas.

Vasodilation

The process where blood vessels relax to become wider, increasing blood flow to certain areas.

Cardiac Cycle

The process of the heart going through the stages of diastole and systole.

Diastole

The phase of the cardiac cycle where the heart ventricles relax and fill with blood.

Systole

The phase of the cardiac cycle where the ventricles contract and pump blood to the arteries.

Cardiac Output

The volume of blood ejected from the heart in one minute.

Stroke Volume

The volume of blood pumped out of the heart by each ventricle during one contraction.

Heart Rate

The number of times the heart beats per minute.

Anticipatory Rise

A slight increase in heart rate due to the expectation of exercise.