What is the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute called?

• A. Venous Return
• B. Stroke Volume
• C. Cardiac Output
• D. Elasticity of Cardiac Fibres

Answer: (C)

The amount of blood the heart pumps each minute is called cardiac output. It reflects the overall flow of blood leaving the heart each minute and is determined by multiplying the amount ejected with each beat (stroke volume) by how many beats occur each minute (heart rate). This means cardiac output can change with exercise or rest as either stroke volume or heart rate increases.

Venous return, while important for filling the heart and affecting preload, is not the volume pumped per minute. Stroke volume is the amount ejected with each beat, not the total per minute. Elasticity of cardiac fibres relates to how forcefully and efficiently the heart contracts, influencing how much blood is moved with each beat but not defining the per-minute volume on its own.

So the term that correctly describes the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute is cardiac output.