Klaus Duffner |
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We have long been aware of music ’ s healing effect on the human body . Music therapy is being used for the treatment of psychological disorders , tinnitus , cardiovascular diseases and , lately , to help with neuronal development in premature babies .¹ - ² For example , a review of 73 randomized clinical studies from the year 2015 demonstrated that – largely irrespective of the kind of music – there were improvements in both participants ’ anxiety states and levels of pain .³ Scientists have spent years trying to find out whether music not only effects overall healing processes , largely mediated via the brain , but also processes at the cellular level .
Bacteria and algae react to music .
Bacteria and algae are at the bottom of the tree of life . Can music affect the growth and productivity of such simple cells ?
East Indian researchers wanted to know how bacteria or fungi grow under the influence of music , what metabolites are produced and whether there are changes in antibiotic sensitivity . ⁴ A total of eight different kinds of microorganisms were exposed to the sound of classical , East Indian music at a frequency of 41 to 645 Hz and a volume of 95 to 110 dB . With the exception of Serratia marcescens , all the microbes tested exhibited better growth
“ The size , granularity , and hormone binding capacities changed in cells exposed to classical music .”
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with music compared to the controls . Furthermore , the production of bacterial pigments ( prodigiosin and violacein ) and also the sensitivity to antibiotics were boosted . Compared with controls , cation concentrations ( calcium and potassium ) also proved to be significantly changed in test cultures exposed to sound . Finally , baker ’ s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed a higher tolerance to alcohol under the influence of music .
Whereas the microbes were confronted with East Indian music , in another study micro-algae of the genus Haematococcus pluvialis were subjected to either the rather discordant piano piece “ Blues for Elle ” or “ Far and Wide ,” based on a flat frequency response . ⁵ The algae were subjected to the music at about 60dB ( the volume of speech ) for a total of 8 hours over a period of 22 days . Interestingly , the scientists were able to find differences between the two pieces of music in relation to the production of algae : a growth rate of 0.03 / day was registered under the influence of “ Blues for Elle ,” 0.015 / day for “ Far and Wide ” and 0.011 / day with no music ( control ). Thus , under the influence of “ Blues for Elle ” the growth rate of the algae proved to be 58 percent higher than the protected algae control group .
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Beethoven or Mozart ?
Human cells also react to music – and not just highly specialized mechanosensitive , hair receptor cells , which have been configured by nature to pick up acoustic waves . In a study published in the journal “ Noise & Health ” human breast cancer cells of MCF-7 line were subjected to music by three different composers : Mozart ’ s Sonata for two Pianos , Beethovens 5th Symphony or Ligetis ’ Atmosphere . ⁶ All three pieces were played at a volume between 70 and 100 dB for over 30 minutes
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. While the control cells that were not exposed to sound featured a typical histogram with two peaks ( G0 / G1 and G2 / M phase ), the serenaded breast cancer cells showed a significant cell concentration in the S phase ( synthesis phase ) and a cell reduction in the G / M phase . Furthermore , the cell size , cell granularity and hormone binding capacities of the cells exposed to classical music changed compared to the control population . In 2016 following the MCF-7 breast cancer cell test , additional cell lines of this carcinoma ( incl . MDA- MB-231 ) were also tested under the same musical conditions by the same researchers . ⁷ After exposure for 48 hours and compared to the control , the percentage of living MCF-7 cells decreased under the influence of Beethoven and Ligeti ( p < 0.05 ). MBA-MD-231 breast cancer cells were
Breast cancer cell
Breast cancer cells ( MCF-7 ) were exposed
to Ligeti Atmosphères , Beethoven ’ s
5th Symphony and Mozart ' s Sonata for
Two Pianos , and incubated for 48 h .
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Photo : © iStockphoto , Christoph Burgstedt |
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32 GEISTLICH NEWS 1-2022 |