Effect of a 60 Hz magnetic field on the behavior of Paramecium

Paramecium multimicronucleatum was used as a model cell to study the effect s of 60 Hz magnetic fields on swimming behavior. When exposed to a vertical field of 0.6 T, the cells accumulated at the upper end of the cuvette. An analysis of the swimming behavior revealed that the exposure to the field i ncreased the number of cells swimming upwards maximally at 1 min after onse t of the exposure. This effect of the magnetic field was transient, disappe aring within a few minutes during the exposure. It is suggested that the ma gnetic field may amplify to a large extent the negative gravitaxis of Param ecium. Effects of an induced electric field on the swimming behavior are al so discussed. Bioelectromagnetics 21:584-588, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, In c.