What is the term for the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute?

Cardiac output is defined as the volume of blood that the heart pumps per minute, making it a critical measurement in assessing the effectiveness of the heart’s functioning. It is calculated by multiplying stroke volume (the amount of blood ejected by the heart with each beat) by heart rate (the number of beats per minute). Understanding cardiac output is crucial in various medical contexts, as it helps in evaluating a patient’s cardiovascular health and can inform treatment decisions.

In contrast, stroke volume refers to the volume of blood pumped from the left ventricle of the heart with each beat, while heart rate indicates how many times the heart beats in one minute. Blood flow rate is a more general term that could refer to any blood movement within the circulatory system, but it does not specifically define the heart’s performance in terms of blood volume pumped per minute. Hence, cardiac output encompasses the overall function of the heart under resting and active conditions, making it the accurate choice for this question.