YouScience Medical Terminology Practice Test

Recording the electrical activity of the muscles is called electromyography, and the trace produced is an electromyogram. The word breaks down with electro- (electric), myo- (muscle), and -gram (recording or tracing). This term specifically describes the electrical signals generated by muscles, which are analyzed to assess nerve and muscle function. In contrast, an electrocardiogram records the heart’s electrical activity, encephalitis is inflammation of the brain, and endarterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove plaque from an artery.