Electric eels are one of the most powerful electric discharge animals in the world, they live in the freshwater rivers of South America and are known for their amazing electric shock ability.
Electric eels are capable of delivering electric shocks of up to 600 volts, enough to instantly paralyze or stun their prey. So, how do electric eels produce electricity? Can you electrocute people? Today, this article will answer this question for you.
How exactly does the most powerful electric eel, the most powerful discharging animal, generate electricity?
First, the external structure of the electric eel:
The body of the electric eel has a long, slender shape and can be up to 2 meters long. They belong to the cartilaginous fish and have smooth and scaleless skin. Electric eels have a smaller head and a large and prominent mouth. The body is divided into three main areas: the front part is the electrical organ, the middle part is the internal organs and fins, and the tail is the electrical organ. The electrical organs of electric eels are located on the sides of the body and occupy most of the body space.
Second, the structure of electrical organs:
The electrical organs of electric eels are actually made up of thousands of electrical organ units. Each electrical organ unit is similar to a battery and is capable of generating electric current. Each electrical organ unit consists of a generator and an electrical organ protosome.
The generator is the main part of the electrical organ of the electric eel, which occupies most of the electrical organ space. The generator is composed of parallel electrical organ columns, each of which is composed of two special cell layers above and below. A large number of tiny cells form between these two cell layers. The upper cells in the electrical organ column are rich in sodium ions, while the lower cells are rich in potassium ions. This ion gradient is key to electric eel power generation.
The electrical organ protobody is located on the top of the generator and is the part of the electrical organ unit responsible for generating electric current. Electrical organ protoplasms contain a large number of electric cells that are able to convert chemical energy into electricity. Each motorized cell contains many ion channels that open when the motorized cell is stimulated, and ions flow, generating an electric current.
The power generation process of electric eels can be simply described as the following steps:
Electricity storage: Electric eels actively store electricity, which is converted into electricity by eating chemical energy from the food they ingest. When an electric eel eats, the digestive system converts the chemical energy in the food into the energy needed by the electrical organs. This energy is stored in the electrical cells of electrical organs in the form of chemicals.
Sending signals: When an electric eel needs to deliver an electric shock, it sends signals through the brain and nervous system to electrical organs. This signal triggers the opening of ion channels in the motorized cell.
Ion flow: Once the ion channel is opened, sodium and potassium ions begin to flow between the motorized cells. Sodium ions flow from the upper cells to the lower cells, while potassium ions do the opposite. This ion flow creates an electric current.
Current amplification: The current in the electrical organ is very weak, but through the parallel action of thousands of electrical organ units, the current is amplified, forming a strong electric shock energy.
Discharge: When the current reaches a sufficiently strong level, the electric eel contracts through special muscles, releasing the current into the surrounding water. This shock can be used to hunt prey, defend itself, or navigate.
It should be noted that electric eels do not release all the electrical energy at once, but can control the magnitude and frequency of the current according to their needs. They can produce shocks of different intensity and frequency for different purposes.
Can electric eels electrocute people?
Although electric eels may electrocute people, in most cases they do not cause death, and most of them are mainly caused by symptoms such as pain, spasms or other physical discomforts.
Electric eels are capable of delivering shocks of up to 600 volts, which is quite powerful electricity, however the lethality of electric shock energy depends not only on the voltage, but also on the strength of the current, its frequency, and the duration of the shock.
The body's response to electric shock varies depending on individual differences and other factors, and in general, humans have a limited tolerance to electric shock. As electricity passes through the body, it affects vital organs such as muscles, nerves, and the heart.
When muscles are stimulated by electrical currents, spasms and convulsions may occur, causing the person to be incapacitated and possibly even causing fractures or other physical damage.
Electric shocks can also interfere with the nervous system and may cause severe pain, paresthesias, or temporary paralysis.
On top of that, the effects of electric current on the heart can lead to serious consequences. Strong electrical currents can interfere with the heart's normal rhythm and cause arrhythmias such as tachycardia or cardiac arrest. In this case, without timely medical intervention, it can lead to serious and potentially fatal consequences.
However, it should be noted that electric eels are not deadly killers. In most cases, humans who are shocked by electric eels will feel pain and discomfort, but they will not cause death. Only in rare cases, such as when an electric shock occurs near the heart or when the current lasts too long, can it pose a lethal threat to humans.
In general, electric eel shocks are somewhat threatening, may cause pain, spasms and other physical discomfort, and the effect on the heart can lead to serious consequences, so when touching electric eels, you should be vigilant and try to avoid contact and touch to ensure personal safety.
Summary: Electric eels achieve the ability to generate electricity through special electrical organs and electric cells. They use the chemical energy in the ingested food to convert it into electricity and generate electricity through the opening of ion channels and ion flow.
These currents are amplified by thousands of electrical organ units, creating powerful shock energy. The power generation process of electric eels demonstrates the wonders of biodiversity and adaptability in nature, and the discharge of electric eels rarely causes deaths, and most people experience symptoms such as physical discomfort, pain or paralysis.