Neuronal Cells Under Electromagnetic Exposure: A Link Between Microscopic and Macroscopic Modelling

Abstract

In modelling the bioelectromagnetic interactions we have to deal with a very complicate structure as it is the biological structure; therefore it should be useful to set some steps to face the problem. First of all it is necessary to define rigorously the biological level we are interested in. Each level of the biological structure will be related to a well defined output: the energy distribution of a molecule, if we are interested in the molecular level, the current flowing through the channels across the cellular membrane, if we are interested in a microscopic model of the cellular membrane, the overall membrane voltage if we are interested in a macroscopic model of the cell. Once this first step is accomplished it is necessary to study the possible mechanisms of interaction between electromagnetic (EM) fields and biological systems. This step can be carried out with the aid of theoretical approaches and modellization techniques or by means of experimental results. The third and final step is the investigation about the global physiological effects induced in the biological systems by the incident field. At the moment, the third step is not so easily linked with the two previous ones: it can be performed with experimental tests, or with theoretical analysis, but in both cases without strong liaisons with the modelling used in the second item.