Related Experiment Videos
Influence of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields on the swimming behavior of ciliates
R Hemmersbach1, E Becker, W Stockem
1Institute of Aerospace Medicine, DLR (German Aerospace Research Establishment), Köln. Ruth.Hemmersbach@DLR.DE
Abstract:
Different species of ciliates (Paramecium biaurelia, Loxodes striatus, Tetrahymena thermophila) have been taken as model systems to study the effects of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields (50 Hz, 0.5-2.0 mT) on the cellular level. A dose-dependent increase in the mean swimming velocity and a decrease in the linearity of cell tracks were observed in all wild-type cells. In contrast, field-exposure did not increase the number of directional turns of the Paramecium tetraurelia pawn mutant (d4-500r), which is characterized by defective Ca2+-channels. The described changes indicate a direct effect of low frequency electromagnetic fields on the transport mechanisms of the cell membrane for ions controlling the motile activity of cilia.