Effect of a 60 Hz magnetic field on the behavior of Paramecium.
Paramecium multimicronucleatum was used as a model cell to study the effects of 60 Hz magnetic fields on swimming behavior. When exposed to a vertical field of 0.6 T, the cells accumulated at the upper end of the cuvette. An analysis of the swimming behavior revealed that the exposure to the field increased the number of cells swimming upwards maximally at 1 min after onset of the exposure. This effect of the magnetic field was transient, disappearing within a few minutes during the exposure. It is suggested that the magnetic field may amplify to a large extent the negative gravitaxis of Paramecium. Effects of an induced electric field on the swimming behavior are also discussed.
Nakaoka
Y
Y
Division of Biophysical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan. nakaoka@bpe.es.osaka-u.ac.jp
Shimizu
K
K
Hasegawa
K
K
Yamamoto
T
T
D000818:Animals; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D009068:Movement; D010247:Paramecium / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013997:Time Factors