Heart beat. A heart beat consists of one auricular systole, one ventricular systole and then a short pause. At rest, human heart beats 72 times per minute. It can be listened with the help of stethoscope.
Pulse rate. When the ventricles contract, the blood is forced into the aorta and exerts the pressure on the wall of the aorta. The pressure difference between systole (about 120 mm Hg) and diastole (about 80 mm Hg) is known as pulse pressure (about 40 mm Hg). This blood pressure is expressed as 120/ 80. The heart beats 72 times per minute is referred to as the pulse rate.
