EVIDENCE FOR CHARGE DENSITY PULSES ASSOCIATED WITH BIOELECTRIC FIELDS IN LIVING ORGANISMS

Abstract

Empirical evidence is presented for oscillating, non-ohmic conductivity mechanisms induced in metals by living systems functioning at normal physiological temperatures. When human hands or living plant materials are placed in contact with metallic, charge collector electrodes arranged in a capacitative type monitoring system, oscillatory electrical currents consisting of what are defined here as Charge Density Pulse (CDP) waves with amplitudes in the 0.1 to 10 microamp range, are continuously generated during 30 sec. to one minute test intervals and exhibit well defined polarity orientations. Through the application of perturbation kinetics evidence was obtained to suggest that CDP responses are associated with charge carrier transport across cell membranes. Envelopes of the dissipative CDP traces followed a log-time relationship with a negative slope. The persistence of CDP oscillations suggested metastable systems in which organized electrical pulses propagate as soliton waves. In the case of human hand experiments these solitons may facilitate local electroporation processes in the epidermis. Interposed, dielectric films completely blocked the CDP response, whereas magnetic fields significantly altered its wave form. Aluminum and copper inserts between hand and electrode produced systematic changes in patterns of conductivity with characteristics somewhat analogous to Josephson junction systems. All aspects of this study are compatible with recently published theoretical papers proposing ideas relative to superconducting type mechanisms in living systems.