The geomagnetic field influences the sensitivity of our eyes

Vision Research

Volumn 47, Issue 8, 2007, Pages 1036-1041

  Thoss, Franz ^a   Bartsch, Bengt ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF LEIPZIG   (Germany)

Author keywords

Background luminance; Discrimination threshold; Geomagnetic field; Radical pair mechanism; Weber law

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ARTICLE; CALCULATION; EYE; FEMALE; HUMAN; HUMAN EXPERIMENT; LUMINANCE; MAGNETIC FIELD; MALE; MEASUREMENT; NORMAL HUMAN; PERCEPTION; PHOTOPIC VISION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PROVOCATION TEST; VISUAL SYSTEM;

ADULT; EYE; HUMANS; LIGHTING; MAGNETICS; MALE; OCULAR PHYSIOLOGY; PHOTIC STIMULATION; PSYCHOPHYSICS; SENSORY THRESHOLDS; VISUAL PERCEPTION;

EID: 33947275712     PISSN: 00426989     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2007.01.022     Document Type: Article

References (16)

1. Barlow H.B. Increment thresholds at low intensities considered as signal/noise discriminations. The Journal of Physiology (London) 136 (1957) 469-488
2. Blakemore C.B., and Rushton W.A.H. The rod increment threshold during dark adaptation in normal and rod monochromat. The Journal of Physiology (London) 181 (1965) 629-640
3. Cremer-Bartels G., Krause K., and Kuechle HJ. Influence of low magnetic-field-strength variations on the retina and pineal gland of quail and humans. Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 220 (1983) 248-252
4. Krause K., Cremer-Bartels G., and Hennekes R. Influence of geomagnetic field alterations on electric retinal potentials and dark adaptation in humans. In: Maret G. (Ed). Biophysical effects of steady magnetic fields (1986), Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 113-116
5. Ritz T., Adem S., and Schulten K. A model for photoreceptor-based magneto-reception in birds. Biophysical Journal 78 (2000) 707-718
6. Ritz T., Thalau P., Phillips J.B., Wiltschko R., and Wiltschko W. Resonance effects indicate a radical-pair mechanism for avian magnetic compass. Nature 429 (2004) 177-180
7. Schulten K. Magnetic field effects in chemistry and biology. In: Treusch J. (Ed). Festkörperprobleme Vol. 22 (1982), Vieweg, Braunschweig 61-83
8. Thoss F. Visual threshold estimation and its relation to the question: Fechner-law or Stevens-power function. Acta. Neurobiologiae Experimentalis 46 (1986) 303-310
9. Thoss F., and Bartsch B. The human visual threshold depends on direction and strength of a weak magnetic field. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 189 (2003) 777-779
10. Thoss F., Bartsch B., and Stebel J. Analysis of oscillations of the visual sensitivity. Vision Research 38 (1998) 139-142
11. Thoss F., Bartsch B., Tellschaft D., and Thoss M. Periodic inversion of the vertical component of the earth's magnetic field influences fluctuations of visual sensitivity in humans. Bioelectromagnetics 20 (1999) 459-461
12. Thoss F., Bartsch B., Fritzsche B., Tellschaft D., and Thoss M. The magnetic field sensitivity of the human visual system shows resonance and compass characteristic. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 186 (2000) 1007-1010
13. Thoss F., Bartsch B., Tellschaft D., and Thoss M. The light sensitivity of the human visual system depends on the direction of view. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 188 (2002) 235-237
14. Timmel C.R., Till U., Brocklehurst B., McLauchlan K.A., and Hore P.J. Effects of weak magnetic fields on free radical recombination reactions. Molecular Physics 95 (1998) 71-89
15. Wiltschko W., and Wiltschko R. Disorientation of inexperienced young pigeons after transport in total darkness. Nature 291 (1981) 433-434
16. Wiltschko R., and Wiltschko W. Magnetic orientation in animals (1995), Springer, New York, Berlin, Heidelberg