Stroke Volume: which statement best describes?

• A. Volume of blood pumped per minute
• B. Amount of blood pumped per beat
• C. Cardiac output per minute
• D. Pressure in the ventricle during systole

Answer: (B)

Stroke volume is the amount of blood ejected from the ventricle with each heartbeat. It’s typically measured in milliliters per beat and reflects how much blood is moved with a single contraction. This is different from cardiac output, which multiplies stroke volume by heart rate to give the total blood pumped per minute. So the phrase “volume pumped per minute” describes cardiac output, not stroke volume. It’s also not about the pressure in the ventricle during systole—that pressure describes how hard the ventricle contracts and how pressure changes, not how much blood is ejected per beat. Understanding stroke volume helps explain how changes in preload, afterload, or contractility influence the amount of blood delivered to the circulation with each heartbeat.