What is defined as the volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle in one heartbeat?

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Prepare for the UCF APK4125C Assessment and Evaluation in Kinesiology Exam. Use multiple choice questions, flashcards, and get detailed explanations. Ace your test!

The volume of blood pumped out of the left ventricle in one heartbeat is defined as stroke volume. Stroke volume is a key component of cardiac function, representing the amount of blood ejected by the left ventricle each time the heart contracts. This measurement is crucial for understanding how efficiently the heart is working, as it directly influences overall cardiac output, which is the total volume of blood the heart pumps per minute.

Cardiac output is influenced by both heart rate and stroke volume—increasing either can result in a higher cardiac output. However, cardiac output itself is not the correct term for the volume pumped in a single heartbeat, which is specifically what stroke volume refers to. Heart rate measures how many times the heartbeats occur per minute, and blood pressure indicates the force of blood against the arterial walls, neither of which directly addresses the volume ejected by the left ventricle in one contraction. Therefore, stroke volume is the appropriate definition for the volume of blood pumped in one heartbeat.