Jam with Confidence: Rock Your Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician Exam 2026!

The term that describes the ability of the heart muscle to respond to electrical stimulation and depolarize the myocardial tissue is "capture." This refers to the successful depolarization of the heart's muscle fibers following an electrical impulse, which is crucial for maintaining a coordinated heart rhythm and effective contraction.

When an electrical stimulus is presented to the heart, the ability for that stimulus to elicit a contraction is termed "capture." It is particularly relevant in the context of cardiac pacing, where a pacemaker delivers electrical impulses to induce heartbeats. A successful capture means that the electrical impulse has effectively activated the heart muscle, resulting in a contraction.

In contrast, the other options represent different concepts within cardiac physiology. For instance, "atrial kick" refers to the additional blood volume that the atria contribute during ventricular filling right before the ventricles contract. "Atrioventricular delay" pertains to the timing between atrial contraction and ventricular contraction, allowing for proper filling. "Complexes" typically refer to the visual representation of a heartbeat on an electrocardiogram (ECG), which includes various waveform patterns associated with heart activity. Therefore, only "capture" directly addresses the heart muscle's responsiveness to electrical stimulation.