Medical Terminology Simplified

5–80 Use your medical dictionary to define contraction.

Competency Verification:Check your labeling of Figure 5–6 in Appendix B: Answer Key, page 574.

Cardiac Cycle and Heart Sounds

5–81 The cardi/ac cycle refers to the events of one complete heartbeat. Each con-

traction, or systole, of the heart is followed by a period of relaxation, or diastole. This

cycle occurs 60 to 100 times per minute in the normal functioning heart.

The normal period of heart contraction is called systole; the normal period of heart

relaxation is called ____________________.

5–82 When the heart is in the phase of relaxation, it is in diastole. When the

heart is in the contraction phase, it is in ____________________.

The pumping action of the heart consists of contraction and relaxation of the my-

ocardial layer of the heart wall. During relaxation (diastole), blood fills the ventricles.

The contraction that follows (systole), propels the blood out of the ventricles and

into the circulation.

Write the medical term relating to the cardi/ac cycle that is in the phase of

relaxation:____________________

contraction:____________________

5–83 Recall the suffixes that mean

process of recording:____________________

record, writing:__________

5–84 Electr/o/cardi/o/graphy is the process of recording electric/al activity

generated by the ____________________.

5–85 An electr/o/cardi/o/gram is a ____________________ of electric/al activity

generated by the ____________________. (See Fig. 5–6.)

5–86 ECG and EKG are abbreviations for electr/o/cardi/o/gram. To evaluate an

abnormal cardi/ac rhythm, such as tachy/cardia, an ECG may be helpful.

The abbreviations ECGand EKGrefer to an ____________________ / _____ /

____________________ / _____ / __________.

Boldfaceindicates a word root or combining form. Blueindicates a suffix. Pinkindicates a prefix.

176 CHAPTER 5• Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems

diastole

dī-ĂS-tō-lē

-graphy

-gram

electr/o/cardi/o/gram

ē-lĕk-trō-KĂR-dē-ō-grăm

heart

record, heart

systole

SĬS-tō-lē

diastole

dī-ĂS-tō-lē

systole

SĬS-tō-lē