What system is composed of specialized muscle tissues that conducts electrical impulses to stimulate the heart's rhythm?

The cardiac conduction system is the network responsible for generating and conducting electrical impulses that coordinate the heart's rhythm. This specialized system includes structures such as the sinoatrial (SA) node, atrioventricular (AV) node, bundle of His, and Purkinje fibers.

The SA node serves as the heart's natural pacemaker, initiating electrical impulses that travel through the heart muscle, causing it to contract in a synchronized manner. This process ensures that blood is pumped effectively throughout the body. The conduction system's unique muscle tissue is specifically adapted to handle these electrical signals quickly, allowing for rapid communication and response in maintaining a proper heart rate and rhythm.

While the autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating the heart rate by influencing the conduction system (for example, through the sympathetic and parasympathetic pathways), it does not consist of specialized muscle tissues itself. The central and peripheral nervous systems involve broader functions related to the nervous system but are not directly specialized for the electrical activity of the heart. Thus, the cardiac conduction system is the correct answer because it directly relates to the heart's ability to generate and conduct impulses that control its rhythm.