Magnetoreception
Magnetoreception is the biological ability to detect magnetic fields, enabling orientation and navigation in animals. It has been documented in a variety of taxa, including bacteria, insects, fishes, birds, reptiles, and some mammals, and is an area of active research with ongoing questions about its neural pathways and integration with other senses.
There are two leading categories of magnetoreception. The radical-pair mechanism is light-dependent and is thought to
The magnetite-based mechanism involves biogenic magnetic iron oxide (magnetite) crystals that can physically align with the
In many species, magnetoreception interacts with other navigational cues such as the position of the sun, stellar