Electricity In Electric Eels
www.aqua.org/animals_ electric eel.html
Electric Eels are known for their
potential to produce an electric voltage to shock their enemies.
The electric producing organs are located in the tail of the fish on
either side of the vertebral column. The electrical organs have
about 5,000 to 6,000 electroplates that act like a cells in a battery
creating a voltage. The electroplates or electrogenic cells each
carry a small negative charge. When activated by a signal, the
nerve terminal releases a small amount of acetylcholine, a
neurotransmitter. This activation then creates a path with low
electrical resistance connecting the inside and outside of one side of
the cell. This essentially makes each cell a small battery and
when combined with all the other cells can produce a voltage of over
450 V.
Voltage is derived from using Ohm's Law which states: V= IR Where I is the current flowing and R is the resistance through the eels body. As stated before the eels body is a low at a low resistance, so to make the high voltages, the current I must be very large. The large current or flow of electric charge is the mechanism that actually kills prey not the voltage produced by the eel.
The eel can produce both a high voltage and a low voltage depending on its needs. As seen above, high voltages are used to kill prey or shock on coming predators, but they can also produce low voltages as well. These low voltages are sent out in pulses used to help the eel locate objects or to indicate direction.
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Voltage is derived from using Ohm's Law which states: V= IR Where I is the current flowing and R is the resistance through the eels body. As stated before the eels body is a low at a low resistance, so to make the high voltages, the current I must be very large. The large current or flow of electric charge is the mechanism that actually kills prey not the voltage produced by the eel.
The eel can produce both a high voltage and a low voltage depending on its needs. As seen above, high voltages are used to kill prey or shock on coming predators, but they can also produce low voltages as well. These low voltages are sent out in pulses used to help the eel locate objects or to indicate direction.
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