system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do creatures like eels produce electricity?
gpt
Top answer is specific to eels but some people seem to still be curious how cells/life can produce electricity on a chemical level.

A cell is a self-contained membrane-bound environment, like a bubble. And what goes in and out of a cell is under strict control. So, a cell can have channels in its membrane that only allow positively charged sodium ions in. After a while, the cell will then have a higher concentration of positive ions relative to its surroundings and thus, it has achieved a positive voltage potential. The cell could then discharge this  potential (through a different kind of channel perhaps) and harness the stored energy it has developed in a number of different ways.

If youd like to see a really interesting example of using cellular electric potential to do physical work, look up "atp-synthase" on youtube. This is the protein that uses a built up electrical potential to turn a molecular motor which in turn synthesizes atp: an essential stored-energy chemical. Its really cool when you see a visualization of it. And those atp-synthase motors are in the mitochondria of most living creatures, including you!