Bearing in mind the studies described in part two of this book, it can be concluded that the
adaptive response occurs primarily when the EMF is outside the frequency range to which the
organism is intrinsically sensitive. Inside the range, the EMF can supply information to the organism
concerning its environment.
Analytical Approach
The analytical approach is a mixture of empirical data and physical models which, hopefully,
leads to laws that predict undiscovered phenomena. The physicist, unlike the biologist, approaches
nature using constructs that do not exist-simple geometric models with perfect conductivity, for
example-in an attempt to reduce the number of variables and establish functional relationships. This
methodology has not yet been systematically applied to bioelectric phenomena, and hence there are no
physicist-type explanations for EMF-induced biological effects. Despite this, evidence of the existence
of many interesting molecular processes that may explain the effects has been discovered. In what
follows, we present an overview of the physical mechanisms applicable to bioelectrical phenomena.
When an EMF is applied to a material, many types of molecular processes can occur (Fig. 9.2):
(1) electronic excitation; (2) polarization; (3) field-generated force effects; (4) heat; and (5) other
electronic and ionic effects. If the material is also alive, additional processes that are associated with
cells and higher levels of structural organization can also occur. We shall regard such consequences as
biological effects, in distinction to effects that occur regardless of whether the material is alive or dead
(physical effects).
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