title: Use of high gradient magnetic fields to evaluate gravity perception and response mechanisms in plants and algae.
abstract: Magnetic gradients have the valuable property of exerting a repulsive ponderomotive force onto diamagnetic compounds. A carefully designed gradient and proper positioning of biological material can be used to manipulate gravisensing organelles such as amyloplasts of higher plants and other statoliths such as the BaSO4-filled vesicles of Characean algae. This chapter describes the main considerations of magnetic gradients and their application as a localized force field to manipulate (sort) cellular organelles based on their magnetic properties. Many of the inferences from such activities have yet to be investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, 42451, Lafayette, LA, 70504, USA, hasenstein@louisiana.edu.
authors.forename: Karl H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Hasenstein
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D001466:Barium Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D044522:Characeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018466:Gravity Sensing; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D018087:Plastids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D001466:Barium Sulfate