The voltage produced by a single nerve or muscle cell is quite small, but there

Question

The voltage produced by a single nerve or muscle cell is quite small, but there are many species of fish that use multiple action potentials in series to produce significant voltages. The electric organs in these fish are composed of specialized disk-shaped cells called electrocytes. The cell at rest has the usual potential difference between the inside and the outside, but the net potential difference across the cell is zero. An electrocyte is connected to nerve fibers that initially trigger a depolarization in one side Electric eels live in fresh water. The torpedo ray is an electric fish that lives in salt water. The electrocytes in the ray are grouped differently than in the eel: each stack of electrocytes has fewer cells, but there are more stacks in parallel. Which of the following best explains the ray's electrocyte arrangement? The lower resistivity of salt water requires more current but lower voltage. The lower resistivity of salt water requires more voltage but lower current. The higher resistivity of salt water requires more current but lower voltage. The higher resistivity of salt water requires more voltage but lower current. The electric catfish is another electric fish that produces a voltage pulse by means of stacks of electrocytes. As the fish grows in length, the magnitude of the voltage pulse the fish produces grows as well. What is the best explanation for this change? As the fish grows, the voltage produced by each electrocyte increases. As the fish grows, more electrocytes are added to each stack. As the fish grows, more stacks of electrocytes are added in parallel to the existing stacks. As the fish grows, the thickness of the electrocytes increases.

Explanation / Answer

C. Lower resistivity of salt water requires lower voltage and higher current (from parallel arrangement).
D. As the fish grows more elctrocytes are added to each stack (thus producing more voltage being in series)

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