Pulse

A pulse (or heartbeat) is a throbbing of blood vessels as blood goes through them. You can feel someone's pulse in their wrist, thumb or neck, where vessels are closer to the skin. A normal pulse is below 100 beats per minute. Our pulse quickens when we exercise because the muscles being used need more oxygen. Unusually fast or slow or irregular pulse might mean sickness.

Pulse
Diagram of the rise and lower of blood from a pulse.
Organisms	Animalia*
Biological system	Circulatory system
Action	Involuntary
Method	Heart pumps blood using reciprocating method causing inconstant blood flow throughout the circulatory system that can be recognized. (See Cardiac cycle)
Frequency	60–100 per minute (humans)
Duration	0.6–1 second (humans)
Animalia with the exception of Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Bryozoan, Amphioxus.

Not to be confused with Pulse (legume).

There are normally four heart sounds. Two of them, S1 and S2, can be heard with a stethoscope. Two other sounds, S3 and S4, can not be heard, but they can be seen using a machine called a phonocardiograph.

Pulse sites

Other websites

• Measure Pulse Online Tap along with your pulse