ABSTRACT
The pyroelectric effect has been observed in mineral crystals such as tourmaline since an ti qui ty, and in hundreds of natural and artificial crystals, ceramics, and polymers during the past century (l). However, its existence in biological materials was unknown until 1966 when Lang (2) first reported measurements of it in animal bone and tendon. Since then, its presence has been demonstrated in many animal and plant tis sues. Most of the data are qualitative, but they are sufficient to establish the generality of the phenomenon in living tissues. The unique association of pyroelectricity with a vectorial electric polarization, and the high probability of the existence of the long-range ordering characteristics of ferroelectricity suggest that the presence of pyroelectricity may have a profound influence on the processes of life.
