2016/05/24 by P. J. Hore, Henrik Mouritsen · 1 voice · 5 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · #Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects #Functional Brain Connectivity Studies #Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-biophys-032116-094545
openalex publication_date 2016/05/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Although it has been known for almost half a century that migratory birds can detect the direction of the Earth's magnetic field, the primary sensory mechanism behind this remarkable feat is still unclear. The leading hypothesis centers on radical pairs-magnetically sensitive chemical intermediates formed by photoexcitation of cryptochrome proteins in the retina. Our primary aim here is to explain the chemical and physical aspects of the radical-pair mechanism to biologists and the biological and chemical aspects to physicists. In doing so, we review the current state of knowledge on magnetoreception mechanisms. We dare to hope that this tutorial will stimulate new interdisciplinary experimental and theoretical work that will shed much-needed additional light on this fascinating problem in sensory biology.