Inhibition and recovery of growth processes in roots of pisum sativum L. Exposed to 60-Hz electric fields

✍ Scribed by Dominique Robertson; Morton W. Miller; Christopher Cox; Henry T. Davis

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 630 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0197-8462
• DOI: 10.1002/bem.2250020405

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Roots of Pisum sativum L. were chronically exposed in aqueous inorganic nutrient medium to 60‐Hz electric fields between 140 and 490 V/m (growth medium conductivity ∼ 0.08 S/m). The growth rate, meristematic mitotic index, and growth rate recovery of the roots were determined. At 140 V/m there was no perturbation in growth rate or mitotic index. At 430 V/m the growth rate and the mitotic index were reduced. The mitotic index had a maximum depression (∼ 55% of control), which occurred at 4 h. The depression in growth rate was immediate and constant over time. When roots were exposed to an electric field at 430 V/m for 2 days, the growth rate was depressed by about 40%. When the field was terminated, the growth rate steadily increased and was almost normal after 5 days. At 490 V/m root growth rate was almost completely arrested. According to these results, there is a narrow range of induced membrane potentials that span the range from slightly altered to almost completely arrested growth rates.