Possible Mechanism of Infrared Radiation Reception: The Role of the Temperature Factor

Abstract

The role of the temperature factor in the mechanism of reception of the CO₂ laser low-power infrared (IR) radiation (λ = 10.6 μm) by a sensory neuron membrane has been studied. Organotypic embryonic tissue culture has been used to measure and estimate the temperature of a sensory ganglia monolayer exposed to radiation at different energy densities. The effects of tissue exposure to low-power IR radiation have been investigated. It has been found that inhibition of tissue growth by radiation of low energy density (10^–14–10^–10 J/cm²) is replaced by tissue growth (10–7–10^–4 J/cm²), and again followed by inhibition in the range of 0.1^–6 J/cm². A statistically significant specific reaction to nonthermal radiation has been detected at the radiation power density of 3 × 10^–10 J/cm², which is due to activation of the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase transducer function. The mechanisms of interaction of IR radiation with embryonic nerve tissue have been considered. Low-power IR radiation with the wavelength of 10.6 μm has been demonstrated to specifically activate a novel signal transducer function of the sodium pump, which controls the reception of nonthermal IR radiation in the energy density range of 10^–14 to 10^–10 J/cm².