Physiological effects

A voltage applied to a human body causes an electric current through the tissues, and although the relationship is non linear, the greater the voltage, the greater the current.The threshold for perception varies with the supply frequency and with the path of the current, but is about 0.1 mA to 1 mA for mains frequency electricity, though a current as low as a microamp can be detected as an electrovibration effect under certain conditions.If the current is sufficiently high, it will cause muscle contraction, fibrillation of the heart, and tissue burns.The lack of any visible sign that a conductor is electrified makes electricity a particular hazard. The pain caused by an electric shock can be intense, leading electricity at times to be employed as a method of torture. Death caused by an electric shock is referred to as electrocution. Electrocution is still the means of judicial execution in some jurisdictions, though its use has become rarer in recent times.