Which phrase is commonly used to remember diastole?

Which phrase is commonly used to remember diastole?

• A. When you die, you relax
• B. The heart beats when you breathe
• C. Blood moves to the lungs
• D. The ventricles eject blood

Answer: (A)

Diastole is the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles fill with blood. The mnemonic “When you die, you relax” is commonly used to remember diastole because it cues the idea of the heart relaxing between beats. During this phase the atrioventricular valves are open to allow ventricular filling from the atria, and the semilunar valves are closed to prevent backflow into the arteries. The other phrases don’t fit diastole: learning to breathe isn’t a reliable cue for relaxation, blood moving to the lungs describes the act of pumping during contraction, and the ventricles ejecting blood refers to systole, not diastole.

Diastole is the relaxation phase of the cardiac cycle when the ventricles fill with blood. The mnemonic “When you die, you relax” is commonly used to remember diastole because it cues the idea of the heart relaxing between beats. During this phase the atrioventricular valves are open to allow ventricular filling from the atria, and the semilunar valves are closed to prevent backflow into the arteries. The other phrases don’t fit diastole: learning to breathe isn’t a reliable cue for relaxation, blood moving to the lungs describes the act of pumping during contraction, and the ventricles ejecting blood refers to systole, not diastole.