bioelectric current

Bioelectricity refers to the electrical potentials and currents generated within living organisms. These potentials, typically ranging from one to a few hundred millivolts, are produced by various biological processes. Unlike the electron flow in electrical devices, bioelectric currents primarily involve the movement of ions.1

In living cells, the cell membrane acts as a semipermeable barrier, separating solutions with different ion concentrations. This difference creates an electric potential, known as the resting potential, across the membrane. Specialized cells, like nerve and muscle cells, utilize these potentials for functions such as transmitting information via electrical pulses (action potentials) and muscle contraction.1

Some organisms, like the electric eel, have evolved specialized organs capable of generating significant electric discharges for defense or hunting. Ion channels, which are proteins in cell membranes, play a crucial role in regulating ion flow and are essential for processes in the nervous system, heart, and muscle.12