[Programmed cell death as a biological function of electromagnetic fields at a frequency of (50/60 Hz)--review].

Apoptosis as physiological or programmed cellular death, and necrosis as pathological cellular death are two ways by which cells die. Recent data confirm that oxygen free radicals can be the mediators of apoptosis via signalling pathways in the cell. External magnetic fields are known to affect radical pair recombination and they may increase the concentration of oxygen free radicals in living cells. Therefore, it has been suggested that physical agents, such as electromagnetic fields of power-line frequency, could exert an effect on apoptosis via signalling pathways and oxygen free radicals.