Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
Cardiac physiology is the study of the heart's function and how it pumps blood throughout the body. It involves understanding the electrical, mechanical, and biochemical processes that contribute to the heart's rhythm and output.
The muscular tissue of the heart that contracts to pump blood out and relaxes to let blood in.
Cardiac cycle: The complete sequence of events in the heart from one heartbeat to another, including systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation).
Electrophysiology: The study of the electrical properties and activities of biological cells and tissues, particularly those of the nervous and cardiac systems