Abstract
IN the course of an investigation of the control of the heart rate in the early chick embryo it was noted that under certain conditions exposure to visible light accelerates the rate. The following report presents a study of this phenomenon. There are many reports in the older literature of effects of visible light, unrelated to ultraviolet radiation, on cellular activity. Cessation of amoeboid activity when Pelomyxa was suddenly exposed to light was noted in 18791, and has been extensively studied more recently2,3. Activity of cells in tissue culture is affected by exposure to light; amoeboid activity of lymphocytes in frog spleen explants4, and the rate of beat5 of explants of 6 day chick embryo hearts and of cilia of explants of frog throat epithelium, are all modified by growth of the cultures in visible light. Recently, there have been reports of increased metabolic activity6 and of accelerated growth rate and early hatching7,8 in chick embryos from eggs incubated in permanent light. The stimulation of the chick embryo heart rate to be reported here was obtained in the visible range without addition of dye or photosensitizing agents.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Engelmann, T. W., Arch. Ges. Physiol., 19, 1 (1879).
Mast, S. O., J. Exp. Zool., 9, 265 (1910).
Folger, H. T., J. Exp. Zool., 41, 261 (1925).
Gassul, R., Arch. Exp. Zellforsch., 3, 92 (1927).
Pires Soares, J., C.R. Herbd. Soc. Biol., 117, 730 (1934).
Preda, V., Mihalca, I., Cristea, M., Onea, O., Craciun, O., Stanesca-Carpen, E., Muresanu, D., and Schuster, N., Acad. Rep. Populare Romine, Filiala Cluj, Studii Cercetari Biol., 12, 235 (1962). (Chem. Abstracts, 58, 9451h; 1963).
Shutze, J. V., Lauber, J. K., Kato, M., and Wilson, W. O., Nature, 196, 594 (1962).
Lauber, J. K., and Shutze, J. V., Growth, 28, 179 (1964).
Roberts, C. M., Gimeno, M. A., and Webb, J. L., J. Cell. Comp. Physiol., 66, 267 (1965).
Beinert, H., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 78, 5323 (1956).
Beinert, H., A Symposium on Light and Life (edit. by McElroy, W. D., and Glass, B.), 163 (Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, 1961).
Dixon, M., and Webb, E. C., Enzymes, 412 (Academic Press Inc., New York, 1960).
Zwarenstein, H., and Van Der Schyff, V., Nature, 197, 714 (1963).
Löw, H., Lindberg, O., and Ernster, L., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 35, 284 (1959).
Webb, J. L., Brit. J. Pharmacol. Chemother., 5, 335 (1950).
Zachs, S. I., Anat. Rec., 118, 509 (1954).
Harman, J. W., and Feigelson, M., Exp. Cell Res., 3, 47 (1952).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
GIMENO, M., ROBERTS, C. & WEBB, J. Acceleration of Rate of the Early Chick Embryo Heart by Visible Light. Nature 214, 1014–1016 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/2141014a0
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2141014a0
This article is cited by
-
Optoacoustic effect is responsible for laser-induced cochlear responses
Scientific Reports (2016)
-
Optical pacing of the embryonic heart
Nature Photonics (2010)
-
A light to move the heart
Nature Photonics (2010)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
