Biological effects of magnetic fields and cooperative phenomena

✍ Scribed by Eduardo Ducla-Soares

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1980
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 205 KB
• Volume: 17
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7608
• DOI: 10.1002/qua.560170602

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Cooperative phenomena may be involved in the biological effects of magnetic fields (H), since its effects on isolated atoms or ions, at room temperature, are very weak. It is suggested that interactions at the social level can considerably increase the efficiency of H in orienting the displacements of animals. This effect is discussed with a simple mathematical model inspired on superparamagnetism. In case of very weak interactions of H with isolated animals, it suggests that orientation could only be made visible through cooperativity at the social level. These results are generalized to other physical stimuli and effects, leading to the concept of cooperative sensory response, i.e., a group response to an external physical agent even when its effect on isolated members of the group is undetectable.