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Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.

Cellular Effects

Extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields at low power density do not affect the division of exponential phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.

No Effects Found

Gos, P, Eicher, B, Kohli, J, Heyer, WD · 1997

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Well-controlled study found no effects on yeast cell division from 41.7 GHz EMF at low power densities, contradicting previous positive findings.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields around 41.7 GHz at very low power levels to see if the radiation affected how quickly the cells divided. After careful testing with proper controls, they found no significant differences in cell division rates between exposed and unexposed yeast. This contradicts some earlier studies that claimed to find biological effects from similar EMF exposures.

Why This Matters

This study represents important negative evidence in the EMF research landscape, particularly for extremely high frequency exposures near the millimeter wave range now used in 5G networks. The researchers used power densities of 0.5 and 50 microW/cm², which are relatively low compared to typical wireless device exposures but within ranges that some previous studies claimed produced biological effects. What makes this research particularly valuable is its rigorous methodology - the team used concurrent controls, time-lapse photography for precise measurements, and carefully controlled exposure conditions to minimize confounding factors. The fact that their results contradict earlier positive findings highlights a critical issue in EMF research: the importance of replication and robust experimental design. While yeast cells are obviously different from human cells, they're commonly used as a model organism because their basic cellular processes mirror those in more complex organisms.

Exposure Details

Power Density
0.0005, 0.05 mW/cm²
Source/Device
41.682 GHz to 41.710 GHz in 2 MHz increments

Exposure Context

This study used 0.0005, 0.05 mW/cm² for radio frequency:

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.0005, 0.05 mW/cm²Extreme Concern - 1,000 µW/m²FCC Limit - 10M µW/m²Effects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 2,000 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 2 MHz - 41.71 GHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 2 MHz - 41.71 GHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The aim of this study is to Investigate Extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields at low power density do not affect the division of exponential phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.

Exponentially growing cells of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were exposed to electromagnetic fi...

Control experiments showed that the cells were dividing at submaximal rates, ensuring the possibilit...

Cite This Study
Gos, P, Eicher, B, Kohli, J, Heyer, WD (1997). Extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields at low power density do not affect the division of exponential phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. Bioelectromagnetics 18(2):142-155, 1997.
Show BibTeX
@article{gos_1997_extremely_high_frequency_electromagnetic_3044,
  author = {Gos and P and Eicher and B and Kohli and J and Heyer and WD},
  title = {Extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields at low power density do not affect the division of exponential phase Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.},
  year = {1997},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9084865/},
}
PubMed: 9084865

Cited By (55 papers)

View all 55 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

A 1997 study found that 41.7 GHz electromagnetic fields at low power levels do not affect cell division rates in yeast cells. Researchers exposed cells to frequencies around 41.7 GHz and found no significant differences between exposed and unexposed cells, contradicting some earlier claims of biological effects.
Research on yeast cells exposed to extremely high frequency EMF around 41.7 GHz showed no harmful effects on cellular division. The study used proper controls and multiple independent experiments, finding no consistently significant differences between exposed and control groups at low power densities.
Studies indicate 41 GHz radiation at low power levels does not disrupt basic biological processes like cell division. Research on yeast cells found no significant impact on division rates when exposed to frequencies between 41.682-41.710 GHz, suggesting these exposures may be less concerning than previously thought.
Research on millimeter wave radiation around 41.7 GHz found no significant cellular effects on division rates in yeast. The study contradicted earlier claims of biological effects, showing no consistent differences between cells exposed to these extremely high frequencies and unexposed control cells.
High frequency EMF around 41.7 GHz does not appear to impact cell growth based on yeast studies. Researchers found no significant differences in cell division rates between exposed and unexposed yeast cells, even when cells were dividing at submaximal rates that could detect changes.