The cardiac cycle describes the sequence of events in the heart from one heartbeat to the next. It involves rhythmic contractions and relaxations of the heart's chambers. Each cycle includes a systole, where the ventricles contract to pump blood out, and a diastole, where the ventricles relax and refill. The cycle is initiated by an electrical impulse from the sinoatrial node and involves pressure, volume, and valve changes in the heart chambers and arteries with each beat.