210
Bioelectromagnetism
5.6 Conclusions
Variations in the MF intensity infuence many plant biological processes. Te mechanism of plant mag-
netoreception/perception is still unknown; however, the RPM of chemical magnetosensing appears to
adequately explain the MFEs observed in plants. Te favin-based RP system is one of the most studied
MFE and an RP-based sensor may also be enhanced by interactions with its fuctuating environment,
a property apparently found in many areas of “quantum biology.” Te only currently hypothesized
RP that may potentially explain plant MFE is FADH• / O•
2
− , generated in the reoxidation of the fully
(photo)reduced FADH−. Unlike the electric feld, the MF is not attenuated by living tissue and penetrates
through the whole plant body. Relative changes in the Vm are obtained only at very high MF intensities.
Terefore, the variations in channel activities found afer exposure to GMF or NNMF intensities cannot
be ascribed to the direct efect of the MF, being the consequence of the cascade of events afer MF per
ception. Exposure to MFs above 15 T induces the perturbation of metabolic processes in the presence of
strong MFs and may be useful for guiding future research designed to calibrate safe exposure standards
for living organisms. Plants show both light-dependent and light-independent magneto perception, and
recent data suggest that diferent organs may perceive MFE in a diferential way, with a typical hormetic
behavior. Further studies are required to dissect the plant signaling cascade of events triggered by MF
variations, which remain still far from being deciphered.
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