There are dozens of known fish species in the world that can generate electricity, the most typical of which are electric eels and electric rays . Among them, the electric eel is the most famous, as a feared fish. The electric eel's innate unique skill - discharge, can't help but frighten people. If a cow unfortunately enters a river with electric eels and happens to pose a threat to the electric eels, then what awaits it is The electrotherapy package is available. The instantaneous high voltage can electrocute a cow until it twitches.
Then some people may ask, why does the electric eel not electrocute itself? If this is indeed the case from common sense, how else would the electric eel hunt? Is it possible that you electrocute yourself when hunting for prey? However, in fact, under certain special circumstances, electric eels can electrocute themselves, or even electrocute themselves to death if they are cruel. In order to clarify this problem, let's first understand how electric eels work.
The body of the electric eel is like a huge power generator
How does the electric eel generate electricity?
Although the electric eel is called "electric eel", it does not actually belong to eel, but is a type of swordfish . However, as the name of the fish suggests, electric eels, as high-voltage lines in the water, can really discharge electricity. In fact, bioelectricity is ubiquitous. Take the human body as an example. Various nerve reactions and muscle movements are accompanied by weak currents and potential changes. The electric eel's special high-voltage discharge ability comes from the discharge body formed by its special muscle tissue.
This kind of muscle tissue accounts for four-fifths of the electric eel's body. It can be said that the electric eel is a realistic version of Pikachu . A conventional electric eel can weigh up to 10 kilograms and is about 2 meters long. Its muscles are flaky. An electric eel can have thousands or even tens of thousands of muscle lamellae. The lamellae are separated by connective tissue . Each power generating body is connected in series. Each "small battery" can emit a voltage of 150 millivolts. Don't underestimate this voltage. The total voltage emitted by thousands of such batteries is as high as 600 to 800 volts, which is enough to stun a buffalo.
There was a news report before that a bold crocodile dared to attack an electric eel. As a result, the electric eel was bitten to death by the crocodile, and the crocodile was also electrocuted to death by the electric eel, so the electric eel is really powerful.
Unlucky crocodile
This kind of voltage will not last very long. Usually electric eels will not let themselves discharge for too long. They can control the time and intensity of discharge. They usually hunt small fish in the water and discharge slightly. That's it. Sometimes they will attack large creatures such as cattle drinking water by the river, and stun them when they are not prepared.
Friends who have studied high school biology should know that there is a transmembrane protein on the cell membrane of nerve cells and muscle cells called sodium potassium pump . Its function is to transport three sodium ions after consuming one ATP. out of the cell, and transfer two potassium ions in, which is equivalent to pumping a positive charge out of the cell each time. And if a sodium ion channel is opened at this time, sodium ions will enter the cell under the concentration difference. The influx of a large amount of sodium ions will cause the potential reversal near the membrane, which is actually a discharge.
Can electric eels electrocute themselves?
Interestingly, although electric eels appear to have no natural enemies, they may actually be electrocuted to death by themselves. After a long period of biological evolution , the electric eel's body is wrapped in a highly insulating fat, which ensures that they will not be electrocuted when they discharge in the water, but if they leave the water and enter the air, Then the situation is very different.Electric eels will electrocute themselves in the following situations:
. In the air
In water, due to the good conductivity of water, most of the electricity emitted by the electric eel is transmitted through the water, and a small part of the electricity passes through the electric eel. It doesn't matter, because the electrical conductivity of electric eels is very poor, so you don't have to worry about hurting yourself. However, in the air, because the air resistance is much greater than that of electric eels, the electricity emitted by the electric eels eventually returns to itself. In extreme cases Next, the electric eel may turn itself into a grilled fish.
. Damage to the body
When the electric eel's body is injured and exposed, its body will be short-circuited like two exposed wires, thus electrocuting itself.
