Home » Heart and Blood Vessel Basics » Heart Blood Flow
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All of the parts of your heart, like the chambers and valves, work together to ensure that blood always flows on the same path on its way through your heart and lungs. You can read about the steps below and you can also play an animation of your blood flowing in Figure 1.
Blood flows through each chamber one time on its way through your heart — first through the right side of your heart and then through the left. Play the animation below (Figure 1) to see this sequence. You can click the Step Through button repeatedly to see the animation play one step at a time. Figure 1
What Makes Blood Flow?Blood doesn't flow by itself — your heart's chambers work hard to keep blood moving. The chambers relax and expand to let blood flow into them. Then they tighten and pull inward (contract) to help push blood out. You might hear your nurse talk about your diastolic pressure or systolic pressure when you get your blood pressure checked. When a chamber is relaxed, or expanded, it is in diastole. When a chamber is contracted, or small, it is in systole. See Your Whole Heart in MotionA healthy heart's parts work together in perfect time to control blood flow. During a single heartbeat (one "lubb-dubb"), the chambers contract and relax, the valves open and close, and blood flows through. This sequence of events is called the cardiac cycle. Play the animation below (Figure 2) to see the cardiac cycle in action. You'll see blood flow plus the movement of the heart's chambers and valves. You can click the Step Through button repeatedly to see the animation play one step at a time. Figure 2
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Q. What is it called when a chamber is relaxed and expanded, as it is when blood flows into it? Diastole Systole
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STEP 1. Blood returns to your heart from your body and lungs.
STEP 2. Blood flows from the upper to the lower chambers.
STEP 3. Blood is pumped back out to your lungs and body.
