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Electromagnetism and plant development: a new unknown in a known world

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Abstract

How does the new affect the old but mutable living systems? This is the question that electromagnetism stress has been provoking. There are many evidence that non-ionic radiation can affect animal cells since their plasticity is limited when compared to plants. However, the way plants perceive and process this stressor is still poorly understood. So here are some intriguing facts that lead us to reflect on how and why electromagnetism can become a very common stressor for years to come for plant species.

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Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for a scholarship; to the Programa de Pós-Graduacão em Agronomia (UFU) for the support currently given to me as a Post-doctoral (PNPD); to Professor Marli A. Ranal for criticism and support; to Mr. Roger Hutchings for suggestions and the English review of the manuscript; and to the anonymous reviewer for the important observations on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to João Paulo Ribeiro-Oliveira.

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Ribeiro-Oliveira, J.P. Electromagnetism and plant development: a new unknown in a known world. Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. 31, 423–427 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-019-00163-9

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