INFLUENCE OF WEAK NONTHERMIC HIGH-FREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS ON THE MEMBRANE-POTENTIAL OF NERVE-CELLS

Nerve cells of the snail Helix pomatia were subjected to high-frequency (159 MHz, 8.3 Hz modulated), non-thermic (maximum flux density 124-mu-T) electromagnetic fields. The effect of the fields on the membrane potential of various nerve cells was investigated. It was observed that short and unique Befeldungen 1 led to an alteration of the membrane potential of the neurons examined. The alteration almost always expressed itself as a long-term hyperpolarization of the resting potential. A clear connection between the negativity of the membrane potential of a nerve cell before the Befeldung and the strength of the hyperpolarization caused by the Befeldung was seen. As well as this effect, an alteration in the threshold of excitation of befeldet cells could be measured.