Electroreception and electrogenesis

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/electroreception-and-electrogenesis

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is electroreception?It is a special sense that lets some animals feel electric fields made by other living things. Sharks, rays, and many fish can use it to find food or avoid danger.
2. How do electric fish make their own electric shock?They have special cells called electrocytes that act like batteries inside electric organs, usually along their tail. When the brain signals them, the cells line up and produce a quick burst of electricity.

Electroreception: The sensory modality enabling the detection of weak electrical fields generated by biological sources or environmental phenomena.
Electrogenesis: The biological process of generating electric fields, typically for predation, defense, or communication.
Ampullae of Lorenzini: Specialized electroreceptors found in cartilaginous fishes, crucial for detecting prey and navigating via electrical gradients.
Electrocytes: Highly specialized, non-contractile muscle cells that function as biological batteries to produce electric discharges.