Question about systole and diastole

[salemstein]

During systole, do both the atria and ventricle contract simultaneously? How about during diastole, do both relax simultaneously?

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[theonlytycrane]

During systole, the ventricles contract to send blood to the lungs and body and during diastole the atria contract to fill the ventricles with blood. You wouldn't want the ventricles and atria to contract together because that would prevent efficient pumping.

I remember the common "120/80 mmHg" bp reading knowing that systole is the top number- it's the higher number because you need more pressure to pump blood to the whole body.

 

[7331poas]

Mm. Well I think those two numbers reflect the pressure in the aorta during systole and diastole. So the top number is the max pressure in the aorta, and the bottom is the minimum possible in the aorta in each cardiac cycle.

 

[Gurby]

The atria contract just slightly before the ventricles do. As the electrical impulse passes through the AV node, it is slowed down which gives a little time for the atria to empty before the ventricles contract.