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Shocking electric eel — Magical universe blog series
Around the giant landmass of South America lives a slithering snake-like fish. The world knows it for its electric shocks that stuns all near it. The electric eel is another enigma of nature and science.
Though the electric eel slithers like an eel, it is closer to catfish than eels. It has always been difficult to classify the enigma. In science, we have a field called taxonomy.
Taxonomists study the internal biology and cell structure of an organism. They try to figure out the similarities and dissimilarities of organisms. This is how they classify various organisms into kingdoms, classes, and species.
All the electric eels fall in the phylum Electrophorus. Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy, classified them as a kind of knifefish.
The shocks are more than the mechanisms of stunning predators and prey. The electric eel lives in murky freshwater. Visibility is low even during the daytime. Low voltage electric shocks also help them to navigate the muddy waters.
When the electric eel detects lurking prey, what is does it do?
The electric eel gives out a high voltage electric shock. The prey can no longer stir. Now the carnivore is at ease to handle and manipulate the prey, forcing it to shake.
In the translucent murky waters, movement and electric shocks help sustain the carnivore.
The electric eel is more of an enigma than you think. As much as eighty percent of its body has organs to produce electric shocks. Only the twenty percent towards the head has the animal’s vital organs.
The Hunter’s organ, Sach’s organ, and the main organ produce electricity. The Hunter’s organ and the main organ produce high voltage. The Sach’s organ near its tail produces low voltages.
When the electric eel manipulates its frozen and hidden prey, it uses low voltage. It even uses low voltage for navigation.
Electric eel does not produce strong enough voltage to kill a human. But it can be taller than the latter. Electric eels can be as enormous as nine feet long.
They can produce electricity because they have electrolytes. These are special cells that produce electric shocks by a simple mechanism.
Electricity flows whenever charges flow. Potassium ions flow in and out of the electrocytes to produce electricity.
The center of the electrocytes has a lot of potassium ions. The periphery has a much lower concentration of potassium ions.
Electrocyte receives an order to produce electricity. Potassium ions from outside the electrocytes move to their center. And potassium ions from the center move outside the electrocyte. Potassium ions enter through one end and exit through the opposite end.
The ions that exit enter into the next electrocyte. Then the process continues. So, the charge flows through all the electrocytes. It means electricity flows through the electrocytes.
From the galaxy and constellations to the electric eels, nature reminds us that we live in a magical universe. This is the first blog of the ‘Magical universe’ series. Follow me on Medium for more.
Email me at subarnacreative@gmail.com.
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