Role of radical pairs and feedback in weak radio frequency field effects on biological systems

Highlights: • Zeeman transitions can alter recombination, concentration and subsequent biochemistry. • Fields may also alter energy level matches, changing transition rates. • Regulatory processes are linked feedback loops, influencing how later changes are manifested. • Feedback processes influence whether an effect is an increase, decrease, or no change. • Some possible implications. Radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF) have been shown to modify the concentrations of the radical O₂^-, H₂O₂ and cancer cell growth rates at exposure levels below those that cause significant heating. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are both signaling molecules and species that can do damage, depending on timing, location and concentrations. We briefly look at some mechanisms by which electromagnetic fields can modify the concentrations of ROS and some of the feedback and repair processes that lead to variable biological effects. Of particular interest are the role of radical pairs and their spins, which have received considerable attention recently, and the role of feedback in biological systems, to which less attention has been paid.