title: Changes in Paramecium caudatum (protozoa) near a switched-on GSM telephone.
abstract: The protozoan Paramecium caudatum was examined under normal conditions versus aside a switched-on GSM telephone (900 MHz; 2 Watts). Exposed individuals moved more slowly and more sinuously than usual. Their physiology was affected: they became broader, their cytopharynx appeared broader, their pulse vesicles had difficult in expelling their content outside the cell, their cilia less efficiently moved, and trichocysts became more visible. All these effects might result from some bad functioning or damage of the cellular membrane. The first target of communication electromagnetic waves might thus be the cellular membrane.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biologie des Organismes, Université Libre de Bruxelles. mtricot@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Marie-Claire
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Cammaerts
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Debeir
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cammaerts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D040421:Cell Phone; D002923:Cilia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D048488:Paramecium caudatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011846:Radio Waves
chemical_list: D000953:Antigens, Protozoan