<P> The electric eel has three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity: the main organ, the Hunter's organ, and the Sach's organ . These organs make up four fifths of its body, and give the electric eel the ability to generate two types of electric organ discharges: low voltage and high voltage . These organs are made of electrocytes, lined up so a current of ions can flow through them and stacked so each one adds to a potential difference . </P> <P> When the eel finds its prey, the brain sends a signal through the nervous system to the electrocytes . This opens the ion channels, allowing sodium to flow through, reversing the polarity momentarily . By causing a sudden difference in electric potential, it generates an electric current in a manner similar to a battery, in which stacked plates each produce an electric potential difference . </P> <P> In the electric eel, some 5,000 to 6,000 stacked electroplaques can make a shock up to 860 volts and 1 ampere of current (860 watts) for two milliseconds (ms). Such a shock is extremely unlikely to be deadly for an adult human, due to the very short duration of the discharge . Atrial fibrillation requires that roughly 700 mA be delivered across the heart muscle for 30 ms or more, far longer than the eel can produce . Still, this level of current is reportedly enough to produce a brief and painful numbing shock likened to a stun gun discharge, which due to the voltage can be felt for some distance from the fish; this is a common risk for aquarium caretakers and biologists attempting to handle or examine electric eels . </P> <P> The Sach's organ is associated with electrolocation . Inside the organ are many muscle - like cells, called electrocytes . Each cell can only produce 0.15 V, though the organ can transmit a signal of nearly 10 V overall in amplitude at around 25 Hz in frequency . These signals are emitted by the main organ; the Hunter's organ can emit signals at rates of several hundred hertz . </P>

How much voltage does an electric eel have