What is magnetoreception?

Magnetoreception is the ability to notice magnetic fields to perceive a certain position, the direction of the magnetic field. Also, as knowing the latitude in which they are.

Magnetization in animals

Magnetization was discovered years ago, the first animals to use it were homing pigeons, since they helped them to orient themselves when moving from one place to another to get the message in this way, there was no margin to lose and return. correctly to their place of origin and destination. With the passage of time it was found out that the range of animals which used magnetoreption, where they are found: other birds, bees, fungi, some bacteria ... We can also find them in fruit flies, rays, lobsters ... We also find the sharks which use electroreception, so they have the ability to orient themselves thanks to the Earth's magnetic field, using its electric field combined with marine currents.

How does magnetoreception work?

There is no exact knowledge of the operation of magnetoreception, of which we do have knowledge is that the Earth works by means of a large magnet, which produces magnetic fields and the aforementioned animals are capable of perceiving them, in order to have them as base to guide you in the right direction.

There are three theories about how the magnetoreception mechanism works:

1. First it covers iron oxide magnetic minerals found in biological magnetic crystals that give them the ability to perceive the magnetic field of the earth. These magnetic crystals can be found in the beaks of birds.

2. Later we found an alteration of the magnetic field of the SPIN or cryptociome, a type of blue light photoreceptors found in plants and animals, which allows us to locate the direction of the magnetic field. These cryptochromes are also proteins which, once activated by the absorption of energy, form "radical pairs".

3. Electromagnetic induction is the latest theory that has been discovered of magnetoreception, it involves sensitive and aquatic animals, which have a neuronal or cellular mechanism, which allows converting electro-receptivity (receiving and using electrical impulses) into magnetic sensitivity.