What are the two components of cardiac output?

Cardiac output refers to the amount of blood the heart pumps in one minute and is a critical measure of cardiovascular efficiency. It is calculated as the product of stroke volume and heart rate.

Stroke volume is the volume of blood ejected by the heart with each heartbeat, while heart rate is the number of times the heart beats in a minute. Therefore, by multiplying these two components, one can determine the total volume of blood being pumped by the heart over a specified timeframe, indicating how well the heart is functioning in supplying blood to the body.

This relationship highlights the importance of both stroke volume and heart rate in determining cardiac output, making this combination the correct response to the question.