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Torpedo Ray — printable fact sheet
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Torpedo Ray
Torpedo marmorata
Torpedo rays (genus Torpedo) generate electricity from a pair of kidney-shaped organs sitting either side of the head, built from stacked columns of modified muscle cells called electrocytes wired in series like the cells of a battery. The Atlantic torpedo, Torpedo nobiliana, ca…
Did you know?
- The name 'torpedo' comes from the Latin word for 'numbness' or 'paralysis,' referencing the numbing effect of its electric shock.
- Roman doctors treated headaches and gout by having the patient stand on a live torpedo ray, the first recorded use of electricity in medicine. Its electric organ is such a dense block of nerve-muscle junctions that it was the source material used to isolate the acetylcholine receptor, a foundational discovery in neuroscience. The organs are built from stacked cells wired in series, exactly like a battery, and the word "torpedo" for the weapon comes from this fish. A large one can deliver around 220 volts.
What I learned
Draw the torpedo ray
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