The effect of low-level 2450-MHz CW microwave radiation and body temperature on early embryonic development in chickens

The effects of 2450-MHz irradiation (3.5 mW cm
⁻²
) on cranial length and wet mass of four- and five-day embryos at different incubation temperatures (32 to 36 °C) were investigated. A temperature-dependent effect on growth rate was observed. At 36 °C, final cranial lengths and wet mass of experimental embryos were found to be below those of controls after four and after five days of incubation; however, the rate of growth was higher than that of controls. At 32 °C, the final values of cranial length and wet masses were higher than the control values after four and after five days of incubation while the rate of growth was lower. It is concluded, after comparing wet-mass data with cranial-length data, that the developmental rate of the whole embryo was affected, and that the effect was a result of some mechanism not associated with an incremented temperature of the embryo.