Which term means record of the heart's electrical activity?

• A. Echocardiogram
• B. Electrocardiogram
• C. Electroencephalogram
• D. Cardiography

Answer: (B)

The term for the record of the heart’s electrical activity is electrocardiogram. This name comes from electro- (electric) plus cardio- (heart) and -gram (something written). An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) records the heart’s electrical impulses as they travel through the conduction system, producing a waveform with components like P, QRS, and T waves that reflect atrial and ventricular depolarization and repolarization. This electrical tracing is what clinicians use to detect arrhythmias, ischemia, and other heart conditions.

In contrast, an echocardiogram uses ultrasound to visualize heart structure and motion, not electrical activity; an electroencephalogram records brain activity; and cardiography is a broader term for recording heart activity but isn’t the specific name for the electrical tracing.