| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥2,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In order to reveal the physiological effect of magnetic field on the living organisms, we applied the magnetic field to the protozoan, Paramecium.
First, application of AC magnetic field (60 Hz, 0.6 T) induced Paramecium cells to accumulate remarkably to upper part of the suspension. Swimming tracks of the cells accumulating to upper side showed that most cells gradually change the swimming direction to orient to upward one. This result indicates the possibility that the AC magnetic field strengthens the negative gravitaxis which is caused by sensing the gravity. How the sensitivity to gravity is increased by the AC magnetic field must be studied further.
Next, when Paramecium cells were placed in a DC magnetic field (0.7 T), the cells began to swim perpendicularly to the magnetic field. Such response is supposed to be originated by a diamagnetism of intercellular organs. The diamagnetism is increased with the regular arrangements of proteins or nucleotides. Then, macronuclei, cilia and trichocyst were extracted from the cell and the orientation of those organs in DC magnetic field were tested. Although macronuclei did not change the orientation, both cilia and trichocyst changed the orientation to direct almost parallel to the magnetic field. Cilia and trichocyst distribute on the surface membrane and most parts of them direct perpendicularly to the long axis of cell. Such situation causes the cell to swim in perpendicular to the magnetic field. It is concluded that the response of Paramecium against DC magnetic field is essentially originated from diamagnetism of intracellular organs.
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