Human Cardiac Beat And Blood Circulation

Quick Answer: The human cardiac beat and blood circulation model is a teaching model that links the beating of the heart to the route blood takes around the body. It is used to show the order of the heartbeat and the two circuits of the double circulation: pulmonary, through the lungs, and systemic, through the body.

Heartbeat and Circulation in One Model

Most heart models show structure; this one is named for two processes. The cardiac beat is the repeating cycle in which the atria contract first, pushing blood into the ventricles, and the ventricles then contract to send it into the pulmonary trunk and aorta. Blood circulation is the path that follows: from the right ventricle to the lungs and back to the left atrium, then from the left ventricle round the body and back to the right atrium.

Models with this name are usually working models that use lights, moving indicators or a pump to show the heartbeat and the direction of flow in sequence, with arteries and veins marked in contrasting colours. How this particular model operates, whether it needs batteries or mains power, and how the circuits are laid out should be confirmed before ordering, since the listing title does not say.

Whatever the mechanism, the teaching points are the same. The heart is two pumps side by side, and blood passes through it twice on each full circuit. The valves keep the flow one-way, and their closing produces the two heart sounds: ‘lub’ as the atrioventricular valves shut and ‘dub’ as the semilunar valves shut.

Applications

• Following one drop of blood through the double circulation, chamber by chamber
• Teaching the order of atrial and ventricular contraction in the cardiac cycle
• Linking the heart sounds heard through a stethoscope to valve closure
• Comparing the oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor sides of the circulation, including the pulmonary vessels that reverse the usual pattern

Specifications

Care & Handling

• If the model is powered, switch it off and disconnect it or remove the batteries after each session.
• Keep liquids away from any electrical parts and wipe the surface with a dry or barely damp cloth only.
• Store the cardiac beat and blood circulation model upright and covered in a dry cupboard.

Why Choose LabEquip

Physiology teachers and nursing tutors choose a circulation model like this when students can name the heart chambers but lose track of the order of blood flow. LabEquip lists it with its biology lab products, alongside the human circulatory blood chart for wall reference. Ask via the contact page how the model is powered.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is double circulation?

It means blood passes through the heart twice on each complete circuit: once through the pulmonary circuit to the lungs and back, and once through the systemic circuit to the body and back.

In what order do the chambers contract?

The two atria contract together first, topping up the ventricles. The two ventricles then contract together, pushing blood into the pulmonary trunk and the aorta, before the whole heart relaxes and refills.

What causes the lub-dub heart sounds?

The first sound, lub, comes from the tricuspid and mitral valves closing as the ventricles start to contract. The second, dub, comes from the aortic and pulmonary valves closing as the ventricles relax.

Why do the pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood?

Arteries are defined by carrying blood away from the heart, not by oxygen content. The pulmonary arteries take oxygen-poor blood to the lungs, and the pulmonary veins return oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Does the model need electricity?

That depends on its mechanism, which the listing title does not state. LabEquip will tell you whether it is manual, battery or mains powered before you place an order.

Who is this model suitable for?

It fits secondary school biology and first-year nursing, paramedical and physiology courses, where the cardiac cycle and circulation are taught together.

Last Updated: September 2026