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Nearly forty years ago, I observed sharks and rays respond to weak electric fields. The biological significance of this finding became evident when shortly thereafter I discovered the common bio electric fields in the vicinity of aquatic animals. The electric sense became an established fact when I proved that sharks and rays cue in on the electric fields of prey, even during the dark or when the prey is hiding in the sand. Field strengths as low as 1 - 2 nV/cm suffice to alert them as to the presence of prey. Furthermore, the motion electric fields of ocean streams inform sharks and rays about the flow of the water and the electric fields the animals themselves induce by moving through the earths magnetic field provide them with the physical basis of their magnetic compass sense shown behaviorally. The ampullae of Lorenzini, the elasmobranchs electro receptors, feature an ingenious positive feedback mechanism amplifying the weak electrical input signal prior to synaptic transmission.
The system is founded on common biophysical principles applied in a unique fashion. Since the electrically excitable ion channels of the receptor cells amplify the input signal without amplifying their intrinsic noise, optimal signal-to-noise ratios are achieved. These new findings not only help explain the remarkable sensitivity of sharks and rays to naturally occurring electric fields, but also suggest brain processing mechanisms not yet recognized. Hence, the electric sense of sharks and rays promises to provide new insights into the detection and processing of electrophysiological signals in animal and man. bio, i a 1999 ny
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Research essay sample on Sharks And Rays Electric Fields Signal
