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Mechanisms for Biological Effects of Magnetic Fields

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Book cover Biological Effects and Dosimetry of Static and ELF Electromagnetic Fields

Part of the book series: Ettore Majorana International Science Series ((PRIP))

Abstract

One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of research on the biological effects of magnetic fields is the broad spectrum of potential interaction mechanisms between these fields and living tissues- At the level of macromolecules and larger structures, interactions of stationary magnetic fields with biological systems can be characterized as electrodynamic or magnetomechanical in nature. Electrodynamic effects originate through the interaction of magnetic fields with electrolyte flows, leading to the induction of electrical potentials and currents. Magnetomechanical phenomena include orientation of magnetically anisotropic macromolecules in strong homogeneous fields, and the translation of paramagnetic species in strong gradient fields. Magnetic fields that are time-varying also interact with living tissues at the macroscopic and microscopic levels to produce circulating currents via the mechanism of magnetic induction. Each of these interaction mechanisms will be described from a theoretical viewpoint in this chapter, and their applicability to biologically relevant systems will be illustrated with selected examples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology and Medicine Division Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA

    T. S. Tenforde

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  1. T. S. Tenforde
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Superior Institute of Health, Rome, Italy

    M. Grandolfo

  2. The University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA

    S. M. Michaelson

  3. National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Frascati, Italy

    A. Rindi

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© 1985 Plenum Press, New York

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Tenforde, T.S. (1985). Mechanisms for Biological Effects of Magnetic Fields. In: Grandolfo, M., Michaelson, S.M., Rindi, A. (eds) Biological Effects and Dosimetry of Static and ELF Electromagnetic Fields. Ettore Majorana International Science Series. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2099-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-2099-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-9243-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-2099-9

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