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Electric Pain
Name: Robert E
Status: other
Age: 30s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2002028
Question:
Why does getting shocked by electricity hurt?
Replies:
All of your cells, nerve cells included, have a small electrical potential
(called a membrane potential) across the cell membrane. Different
concentrations of key ions, in particular K+, Cl-, and Na+, are present in
different amounts inside the cell versus outside the cell, due to the action
of "pumps" and special passageways in the membrane. This sets up a small
voltage of between -20 mV to -200 mV, depending on the organism and cell
type. At "typical" membrane potential is about -70mV, with the inside of the
cell having a slightly more negative charge as compared to outside. While the
above applies to all cells, nerve cells have a set of highly adapted gates
and passageways in their membranes, which allow ions to rapidly flow in or
out when a nerve cell is stimulated. As the nerve is stimulated, the membrane
potential will briefly swing from -70 mV to about +50 mV; thus a difference
in the electrical properties of the membrane is the key to how a nerve
normally "works." When you add an external source of electricity, you are
drastically affecting the membrane potential of cells, in other words, you
are stimulating the nerve cells wildly, and you detect their stimulation as
pain.
Paul Mahoney
Because it is bad for you. Your entire nervous system runs on very low
voltage and reacts very badly to any insults of outside electrical activity.
Peter Faletra Ph.D.
Assistant Director
Science Education
Office of Science
Department of Energy
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Update: June 2012
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