Comparison of the Cytogenetic Effects of a Pulsed Magnetic Field and Gamma Radiation on Meristem Cells of Onion Seed Sprouts (Allium cepa L.).

The effect of a pulsed magnetic field (PMF) on meristem cells of onion seedlings was compared with the effects of acute gamma irradiation using the allium test. It was found that a PMF with a carrier frequency of 1.8 MHz, a pulse repetition rate of 28 kHz, and a magnetic field induction of 75 mT per pulse leads to an increase in the mitotic index, mainly due to an increase in the proportion of cells in the prophase and an increase in the frequency of cells with chromosome aberrations in the ana-telophase and does not affect the frequency of cells with micronuclei. It has been suggested that a PMF causes nonspecific oxidative stress in plant cells, accompanied by a delay in the cell cycle at the check point (G2/M) and induction of DNA damage. According to these indicators, the PMF resembles the effect of ionizing radiation in doses of 0.05–0.5 Gy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]