BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC-FIELDS

The opening lecture of the Bioelectrochemical Society of India meeting links recent developments in research to the early history of the subject, since both deal with the stimulation of biological processes by external fields. In the past, the fields considered were only electric; now we are finding interesting effects due to electromagnetic (EM) fields. Several systems are discussed, with the main focus on the stimulation of biosynthesis by EM fields. Recent experiments indicate that the patterns of proteins synthesized in EM fields are similar to those seen in response to heat shock, and that cells respond via the stress response pathway. Other data suggest how cells, and especially muscle tissue, may normally respond biosynthetically to changes in electrical stimulation. Studies on a simpler model system, the ion transporting Na,K-ATPase of membranes, have also proven useful, since they have shown how transmembrane signaling can occur through the enzyme.