Final answer:
Cardiac output is the product of heart rate and stroke volume; thus, the correct answer to the question is C. It is an important measure of the amount of blood pumped by each ventricle per minute.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cardiac output is equal to the product of heart rate and stroke volume. Therefore, the correct answer is C. the product of heart rate and stroke volume. Cardiac output (CO) is a measurement of the amount of blood pumped by each ventricle in one minute. It is an essential indicator of cardiovascular health.
Stroke volume (SV) is the volume of blood each ventricle pumps out with each beat, and heart rate (HR) is the number of heartbeats per minute. To calculate cardiac output, simply multiply stroke volume by heart rate, which can be represented mathematically by the equation CO = HR × SV.