Extremely large electric-field-induced pyroelectric effect in bone

Abstract

The pyroelectric effect has been studied in a number of biological materials. We observed that an extremely large pyroelectric effect could be induced in moist bone by means of a small bias electric field. When the bias field was removed, this effect was reversed in sign and then decayed very slowly. In the absence of a bias field, the pyroelectric effect in moist bone was two order of magnitude greater than in dry bone. The large magnitude of the pyroelectric effect in moist bone suggests that it may have a much greater physiological significance than previously considered.