Video narration
Have you ever felt your pulse and wondered what one heartbeat is actually doing? A heartbeat is not one simple squeeze. It is a repeating sequence of squeezing and relaxing. First comes atrial systole: both atria contract and push blood into the ventricles. Then ventricular systole: both ventricles contract. The right ventricle sends blood to the lungs, while the left ventricle sends it to the rest of the body. As the ventricles take over, they send blood in two directions, then the whole heart resets for the next beat. Finally, during complete diastole, all four chambers relax. Blood enters the atria, and the ventricles begin filling again. So, what is one heartbeat doing? It is moving through atrial systole, ventricular systole, and complete diastole-a three-phase cycle that repeats in about zero point eight seconds at a resting rate of seventy-five beats per minute.