electric sense

the ability of some species to generate and sense electric fields within their environment. Specialized muscle cells can be coupled to generate a significant electric field, and specialized neural receptors or other organs can detect changes in electric fields. Sea lampreys and eels generate an electric current that is used to stun and disable their prey, but these animals do not appear to sense electric fields. Dogfish sharks hide in the sand and use specialized receptors called Lorenzini ampullae to detect electric currents from prey. Several families of fish found in the tropics both generate and detect electric signals, adjusting signal production to avoid jamming with nearby fish and to change discharge rates to communicate aggression or reproductive status.

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Psychology term of the day

May 9th 2024

ordinate

n. the vertical coordinate in a graph or data plot; that is, the y-axis. See also abscissa.