Quick question about brain function in the presence of a magnetic field

[bautistaib]

Hello, I'm new in the forum. I was just wondering, if the brain acts by sending electrical impulse, then the presence of a magnetic field should affect its motion right? Anyone knows how that affects its function? Depending of the answer I would have a couple of questions. Thank you

 

[phinds]

Hello, I'm new in the forum. I was just wondering, if the brain acts by sending electrical impulse, then the presence of a magnetic field should affect its motion right? Anyone knows how that affects its function? Depending of the answer I would have a couple of questions. Thank you

Since you are new to the forum, you may be under the impression that this is a Q&A forum where you just ask questions and get answers. It isn't. It's a forum for teaching people how to figure out answers on their own and you are expect to put in some effort, not just ask a question, so tell us what you've found out so far on your own and we can go from there.

 

[bautistaib]

Well, it's not about homework or anything, I'm in second year of physics and that's why I entered the forum, but in the class of electricity and magnetism I started thinking that since the magnetic field alters the motions of electrons, and the brain its basically (in my understanding) electrical impulses, the magnetic field should affect its function, and though that maybe the Earth's magnetic field do so, so the place where someone lives may affect their brain impulses. The thing is that I have very little to no knowledge in the subject, so I don't know how to think it by myself more that what already did, and that's why I think in posting it here

 

[bautistaib]

Yeah, just ignore the comment, you were right. Didn't though it in depth

 

[Q490264]

That was rather rude phinds

 

[phinds]

That was rather rude phinds

Perhaps you should read the forum rules.

 

[rootone]

Magnetic fields do result from electrical currents flowing, but there is no evidence that the really small and temporary fields resulting from electrical activity in nerve cells has any importance for animals with nervous systems.

 

[phinds]

Magnetic fields do result from electrical currents flowing, but there is no evidence that the really small and temporary fields resulting from electrical activity in nerve cells has any importance for animals with nervous systems.

I think he's asking about the reverse. Not whether the brain creates EM fields but what happens TO the brain when an external EM field is applied. A trivail amount of research (10 seconds or so) reveals several effects, which is why I asked if he had bothered to do any research of his own

 

[Ygggdrasil]

It's worth noting that the electric current does not travel down neurons like current would flow through a wire. Rather, the electrical signals that are transmitted down neurons are known as action potentials. In an action potential, current flows out of the cell (perpendicular to the long axis of the neuron) at one specific point on the neuron, decreasing the local voltage across the cell membrane of the neuron. This decreased voltage then triggers ion channels to open in an adjacent segment, causing current to flow out of that segment, decreasing the voltage, and repeating the process of opening ion channels in subsequent segments of the neuron. So while the signal is electric in nature (relating to altered voltages and electric potentials across membranes), current is not flowing down the axons of neurons.[PLAIN]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_potential[/PLAIN]