The electric organ is composed of numerous compartments called electrocytes (or electroplates). These electrocytes exhibit regional differences in anatomical organization including: nervous innervation (on posterior, anterior, or both faces), size, shape (coin to barrel-shaped), insulation. Electrocytes may also differ in the abundance of membrane receptor proteins and associated gene expression patters. Species specific EODs are hypothesized to arise from differences in the coordinated activation of the electrocytes.

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