ABSORPTION OF MICROWAVES BY MICROORGANISMS
S. J. WEBB, A. D. BOOTH · 1969
This 1969 research established early scientific evidence that microorganisms absorb microwave radiation, laying groundwork for modern EMF bioeffects studies.
Plain English Summary
This 1969 study by Webb investigated how microorganisms, including E. coli bacteria, absorb microwave radiation. The research examined the fundamental interactions between microwave energy and living cells at the microscopic level. This early work helped establish the scientific foundation for understanding how electromagnetic fields affect biological systems.
Why This Matters
This pioneering research from 1969 represents some of the earliest scientific investigation into how living organisms interact with microwave radiation. What makes Webb's work particularly significant is that it examined effects at the cellular level using microorganisms like E. coli, providing a controlled way to study fundamental biological responses to EMF exposure. The reality is that microorganisms serve as excellent models for understanding cellular mechanisms because they're simple enough to study precisely, yet complex enough to reveal important biological processes.
The science demonstrates that even in 1969, researchers recognized the need to understand how electromagnetic fields interact with living tissue. This foundational work paved the way for decades of research into EMF bioeffects. What this means for you is that concerns about microwave radiation affecting biological systems aren't new or unfounded - they've been the subject of scientific inquiry for over half a century, long before cell phones and WiFi became ubiquitous in our daily lives.
Figures from the Original Paper
Diagrams extracted from the original research document.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
To investigate the absorption of 65 to 75 GHz microwaves by E. coli Br cells and isolated biological components, and to examine the effects on cell growth and metabolic processes.
Cells were grown for 24 h at 37°C in nutrient broth (NB) and either washed twice in 0.85% NaCl and p...
The microwave absorption spectra of cells, H2O, protein, RNA and DNA were obtained by making films o...
Bacterial cells clearly absorb microwaves of definite frequencies and the absorbed energy alters metabolic processes and cell growth. Temperature changes do not play a part in these phenomena. The absorption maxima of cells at 66, 68 and 73 GHz corresponded to those of DNA, RNA and protein respectively. The strength of attenuation by cells at these frequencies was roughly equal to the relative proportions of macromolecules in intact cells. The frequencies which had maximal effect on growth rate corresponded with absorption peaks in the spectrum of the cells. Microwaves may prove useful in studies of in vivo macromolecular complexes and cell metabolism.
Show BibTeX
@article{absorption_of_microwaves_by_microorganisms_g5723,
author = {S. J. WEBB and A. D. BOOTH},
title = {ABSORPTION OF MICROWAVES BY MICROORGANISMS},
year = {1969},
}