Scientists find magnetic cells in fish

A group of international scientists found magnetic cells in migratory trout that allow them to maintain their long-distance journeys. The team discovered cells in rainbow trout that contain a magnetic mineral called magnetite, which helps them detect and respond to the Earth's magnetic field, the Los Angeles Times reported. To make the discovery, the team put a clockwise-rotating magnetic field around a cluster of fish cells under a microscope. They found a small number of the cells began to spin, meaning they were magnetic. A study published by the team in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week also said they found about 100 crystals of magnetite in each magnetic fish cell, much more than the five the scientists estimated there would be. "These cells are magnetic monsters," said Caltech geobiologist Joseph Kirschvink, who worked on the study. Michael Walker, an ecologist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand who wasn't involved in the study, said the study makes a very good case that the magnetic field sensors in migratory animals may have been found. "This study should be representative of what we find in other organisms," he said. "It's a game changer."