Final answer:
The normal stages of the cardiac cycle are atrial systole and ventricular systole, represented in option A. Atrial fibrillation is not a normal stage of the cardiac cycle, so the correct answer to the question is option A: 1 and 2 only.
Step-by-step explanation:
The normal stages of the cardiac cycle include atrial systole and ventricular systole. Throughout the cardiac cycle, the atria and ventricles of the heart undergo a series of contractions (systole) and relaxations (diastole) to pump blood efficiently throughout the body. Atrial systole involves the contraction of the atria to move blood into the ventricles, whereas ventricular systole refers to the contraction of the ventricles to pump blood into the arteries. Atrial fibrillation, on the other hand, is not a normal stage of the cardiac cycle; rather, it is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by rapid and irregular beating.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'Which of the following is a normal stage of the cardiac cycle?' with the options being:
- Atrial systole
- Ventricular systole
- Atrial fibrillation
and the answer choices being:
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2, and 3
is A. 1 and 2 only.