A behavioral perspective on the biophysics of the light-dependent magnetic compass: a link between directional and spatial perception?
(2010) In Journal of Experimental Biology 213(19). p.3247-3255- Abstract
- In terrestrial organisms, sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field is mediated by at least two different magnetoreception mechanisms, one involving biogenic ferromagnetic crystals (magnetite/maghemite) and the second involving a photo-induced biochemical reaction that forms long-lasting, spin-coordinated, radical pair intermediates. In some vertebrate groups (amphibians and birds), both mechanisms are present; a light-dependent mechanism provides a directional sense or 'compass', and a non-light-dependent mechanism underlies a geographical-position sense or 'map'. Evidence that both magnetite-and radical pair-based mechanisms are present in the same organisms raises a number of interesting questions. Why has natural selection produced... (More)
- In terrestrial organisms, sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field is mediated by at least two different magnetoreception mechanisms, one involving biogenic ferromagnetic crystals (magnetite/maghemite) and the second involving a photo-induced biochemical reaction that forms long-lasting, spin-coordinated, radical pair intermediates. In some vertebrate groups (amphibians and birds), both mechanisms are present; a light-dependent mechanism provides a directional sense or 'compass', and a non-light-dependent mechanism underlies a geographical-position sense or 'map'. Evidence that both magnetite-and radical pair-based mechanisms are present in the same organisms raises a number of interesting questions. Why has natural selection produced magnetic sensors utilizing two distinct biophysical mechanisms? And, in particular, why has natural selection produced a compass mechanism based on a light-dependent radical pair mechanism (RPM) when a magnetite-based receptor is well suited to perform this function? Answers to these questions depend, to a large degree, on how the properties of the RPM, viewed from a neuroethological rather than a biophysical perspective, differ from those of a magnetite-based magnetic compass. The RPM is expected to produce a light-dependent, 3-D pattern of response that is axially symmetrical and, in some groups of animals, may be perceived as a pattern of light intensity and/or color superimposed on the visual surroundings. We suggest that the light-dependent magnetic compass may serve not only as a source of directional information but also provide a spherical coordinate system that helps to interface metrics of distance, direction and spatial position. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1697368
- author
- Phillips, John B. ; Muheim, Rachel LU and Jorge, Paulo E.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2010
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- place cells, subicular, spatial cognition, magnetic compass, radical pair mechanism
- in
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- volume
- 213
- issue
- 19
- pages
- 3247 - 3255
- publisher
- The Company of Biologists Ltd
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000281746100008
- scopus:77956858243
- pmid:20833916
- ISSN
- 1477-9145
- DOI
- 10.1242/jeb.020792
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 432652f0-0dbf-4259-9584-cf7ac3b9319f (old id 1697368)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:26:28
- date last changed
- 2022-04-27 22:08:31
@article{432652f0-0dbf-4259-9584-cf7ac3b9319f,
abstract = {{In terrestrial organisms, sensitivity to the Earth's magnetic field is mediated by at least two different magnetoreception mechanisms, one involving biogenic ferromagnetic crystals (magnetite/maghemite) and the second involving a photo-induced biochemical reaction that forms long-lasting, spin-coordinated, radical pair intermediates. In some vertebrate groups (amphibians and birds), both mechanisms are present; a light-dependent mechanism provides a directional sense or 'compass', and a non-light-dependent mechanism underlies a geographical-position sense or 'map'. Evidence that both magnetite-and radical pair-based mechanisms are present in the same organisms raises a number of interesting questions. Why has natural selection produced magnetic sensors utilizing two distinct biophysical mechanisms? And, in particular, why has natural selection produced a compass mechanism based on a light-dependent radical pair mechanism (RPM) when a magnetite-based receptor is well suited to perform this function? Answers to these questions depend, to a large degree, on how the properties of the RPM, viewed from a neuroethological rather than a biophysical perspective, differ from those of a magnetite-based magnetic compass. The RPM is expected to produce a light-dependent, 3-D pattern of response that is axially symmetrical and, in some groups of animals, may be perceived as a pattern of light intensity and/or color superimposed on the visual surroundings. We suggest that the light-dependent magnetic compass may serve not only as a source of directional information but also provide a spherical coordinate system that helps to interface metrics of distance, direction and spatial position.}},
author = {{Phillips, John B. and Muheim, Rachel and Jorge, Paulo E.}},
issn = {{1477-9145}},
keywords = {{place cells; subicular; spatial cognition; magnetic compass; radical pair mechanism}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{19}},
pages = {{3247--3255}},
publisher = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
series = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
title = {{A behavioral perspective on the biophysics of the light-dependent magnetic compass: a link between directional and spatial perception?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.020792}},
doi = {{10.1242/jeb.020792}},
volume = {{213}},
year = {{2010}},
}