The Aerial Torpedo

The "torpedo" effect in medicine.

The natural electrical phenomena fascinated humans since antiquity. The electrical discharges produced by the torpedo fish were highly appreciated among ancient physicians as Hippocrates, Scribonius Largus and Galen and were prescribed for headache, gout and prolapsed anus. In the medieval period, torpedo's electrical properties were attributed to occult powers, while Renaissance physicians' an...

On the respiration of Torpedo marmorata.

1. The oxygen consumption of resting Torpedo marmorata was measured using three different methods. The results indicate that this species has a much lower oxygen consumption than other elasmobranchs of comparable size. 2. The gills are ventilated by a mechanism similar to that of other rays, but a relatively small spiracular opening seems to be associated with a more important role of the oro-b...

The Acetylcholine Receptor Channel from Torpedo

We recorded single channel currents activated by agonist binding to purified acetylcholine receptors from the electric organ of Torpedo californica reconstituted in planar lipid bilayers. Analysis of single channel records indicate that the acetylcholine receptor channel displays two kinetically distinct open states which differ in their mean open times but have similar channel conductances. Th...

Torpedo californica electroplax

Polyclonal rabbit antibodies were raised against 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (SITS), an inhibitor of a variety of anion transport proteins. These antibodies specifically recognize SITSreacted erythrocyte band 3 in immunoprecipitations and Western blots. In Western blots of SITS-reacted membrane proteins derived from vesicles of the electric organ of Torpedo califor...

Phosphagen in the Electrical Organ of Torpedo