The effects of millimetre waves on lipid membrane

The potential effects of millimetre waves (MMW) radiation attract strong attention today due to the increasing number of emerging civil and military applications of millimetre waves [1]. Commercial telecommunication systems are now under development for applications in the next-generation wireless digital networks (e.g., WirelessHD). Therefore, questions about safety for users in domestic and professional environments are of major concern. On the other hand, the interaction of MMW radiation with biological systems is a topic of great interest; many of the vibrational modes in complex bio-molecules fall in the 1 GHz to 100 GHz range [2]. In this frequency range there are also significant parts of the intermolecular vibrational/librational modes of water, fluctuations of atoms in organic molecules and hydrogen bonds. These frequencies correspond to atomic group rotations and displacements that are connected with conformation changes of bio-molecules [3]. Biologically relevant processes can therefore be initiated using radiation in this frequency range. However, no clear mechanisms have been proposed.