Our body has electricity too, so why don’t we get shocked?

But here’s an interesting question: when we touch an electric wire at home, we get a terrible shock because that electricity tries to flow into the ground. So why doesn’t the electricity inside our body escape into the ground? Or, why don’t we get shocked by our own body’s electricity?
 

The main reason is that the electricity in our body is completely different from the electricity in household wires. The electricity in the wires is the flow of electrons that is, AC or DC current. But the electricity that flows inside our body is a kind of bioelectric signal. It’s actually the movement or exchange of ions charged particles such as sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺).
 

However, these signals are also a form of electricity. And to keep this electricity on the right path, our nerves have a remarkable protective covering or insulation. Just like electrical wires in our homes are coated with plastic or rubber, our nerves are covered with a special insulating layer made of fatty tissue called the myelin sheath.
 

This myelin covering is the real hero. It acts as a perfect insulator, preventing electrical signals from “leaking” out of the nerves or spreading to other cells. It ensures that the vital messages sent by the brain reach their exact destination safely and accurately.
 

The myelin sheath also has another magical ability  it dramatically increases the speed of signal transmission. Because of this sheath, nerve impulses in our body can travel at speeds of up to around 400 kilometers per hour.
 

What would happen if this protective covering were missing or damaged? There’s a terrible disease called multiple sclerosis (MS). In this condition, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath itself. As a result, the brain’s signals can no longer properly reach different parts of the body. This causes severe problems with speaking, walking, and even vision. So, it’s easy to understand how disastrous it would be without the myelin covering. It keeps our signals safe and allows them to travel incredibly fast to their exact destinations, keeping our body active and functional.
 

In other words, the electricity in our body works in its own unique way. It’s the body’s special language, through which the brain tells our organs when to move, when to stop, and what to do. But since this electricity is completely different from external electricity, there’s no danger of getting a shock from it.