Evidence for the existence of an electro dynamic field in living organisms
Evidence for the existence of an electro dynamic field in living organisms
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.25.6.284
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发表时间：
1939-01-01
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Northrop, FSC
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Burr, HS;Northrop, FSC
现代科学有两大经典理论：粒子物理学和场物理学。克拉克麦克斯韦在他关于电磁理论的第一篇论文中清楚地指出了它们之间的主要区别。他写道，粒子物理学认为任何现象都是”由于粒子的相互作用"，”但我们正在根据一个不同的原则进行研究，并寻求对这些现象的解释，不仅在电流中，而且在周围的介质中“，或者用他的第三篇论文的语言，”以部件运动关系的形式。[2]简而言之，粒子物理学把注意力集中在组成粒子上，而场物理学则把理论和实验的中心放在系统作为一个整体所嵌入的介质及其结构上。既然生物学的基本问题是组织，那么场物理学似乎更适合于它的研究。正是类似的考虑，加上实验胚胎学中的某些事实，促使作者们在1935年提出了”生命的电动理论“。[4]正是这个理论指导伯尔、莱恩和尼姆研制出了真空管微伏计，[5]并提出了实验研究[6]-[18]和研究结果，这是本文其余部分的目的。在生物学中，生命系统的复杂性是如此之大，以至于投资-
There are two major classical theories of modern science: particle phys-ics and field physics. The chief difference between them was clearly stated by Clerk Maxwell in his initial paper on electro-magnetic theory. Particle physics, he writes, considers any phenomenon" as due to the mu-tual action of particles,"" but we are proceeding on a different principle, and searching for the explanation of the phenomena, not in the currents alone but also in the surrounding medium"'or, to use thelanguage of his third paper," in the form of the relations of the motion of the parts." 2 In short, particle physics directs attention to the constituent particles, whereas field physics centers theory and experimentation upon the medium in which the system as a whole is imbedded and upon its structure. Since the fundamental problem of biology is organization, it would appear that field physics is the more appropriate for its investigation. It was con-siderations similar to these, together with certain facts in experimental embryology, 3 which caused the writers in 1935 to propose the" electrodynamic theory of life." 4 Itwas this theory in turn which guided Burr, Lane and Nims to the construction of the vacuum-tube microvoltmeter, 5 and which suggested the experimental investigations 6-18 and findings which it is the purpose of the remainder of this paper to summarize. In biology, the complexity of the living system is so great that investi-