ANIMAL MAGNETISM
Some organisms, actually quite a
lot, have a sixth sense with which
they navigate the Earth. This
includes birds, lobsters, fish and
even bacteria.
The simplest way in which organisms use
magnetic fields to orient themselves is used
by magnetotactic bacteria. They’re aquatic
and contain magnetosomes, magnetic iron
nanocrystals in large chains which account
for a pretty substantial amount of body mass.
These crystals are about 35-120 nm in
diameter, which allows for maximum
magnetic moment per unit volume. The
bacterium can use these forces to align with
the Earth’s magnetic field without any
expenditure of its own energy.
Photo Taken by F. C. Franklin
LEAH
DE WET