Scientists don't know why we have magnetite crystals in our brains, but it may have to do with The Earth's magnetic field.
In the X-Men series, Magneto is a supervillain, the x-Men's arch-nemesis. Magneto's superpowers are at the top of the mutants' class, allowing him to control any form of magnetic field (including the Earth's), levitate himself and others, and even extend this ability to the atomic level, manipulating chemical structures and altering matter. So, can metal and magnetic fields be controlled by mental power alone? Is this possible in real life?
In 2019, researchers designed tiny crystals of magnetic proteins, implanted them into cells, and found that they could move the cells from the outside using magnets. In other words, they created magnetic cells. Interesting, but what if there were similar magnetic crystals in the brain?
What is magnetite?
Magnetite is the most abundant magnetic material in nature, and its main composition is ferric oxide (Fe3O4) -- can be approximated as a compound of ferrous oxide (FeO) and iron oxide (Fe2O3) (sometimes written FeO·Fe2O3) -- is a special mineral containing both iron ions and ferrous ions.
In nature, magnetite can be found in any type of rock, including igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic, limestone, and volcanic deposits. Magnetite particles can also be found in living things. Organisms such as bacteria, birds, fish and sea turtles are known to use the earth's magnetic field to navigate, and changes in it can also affect their behavior and possibly affect the evolution of the biosphere.
Scientists have studied the existence and use of magnetic components in these organisms, and believe that such magnetic minerals are the "magnetic receiver" carriers for organisms to navigate using the earth's magnetic field. However, very little is known about magnetism in humans. Do humans have magnetic crystals like birds and bacteria? Is it a myth or is it scientific fact? If these crystals exist, where are they? What can be done?
Magnetic crystals in the brain
Magnetite particles were first discovered in human brain tissue in 1992. Of course, this finding is not puzzling, as humans are already rich in iron in their blood. The scientists also found that the ferritite particles belonged to the magnetic-hematite family, and that many of the crystals were single-domain crystals with structures very similar to those found in magnetotactic bacteria and fish. So are these magnetite crystals in the brain isolated events, or are they common?
To test this, researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Germany conducted a 2018 study. They took 822 samples from seven dissected human brains to see if they contained magnetic material. The study found that magnetite crystals were indeed present in the brain, particularly in the cerebellum and brain stem, and the results were consistent across all samples.
How do magnetite crystals get into the brain?
The 2018 study also sought to understand whether magnetic crystals originate inside the human body or from the outside. Many believe these magnetite crystals are externally derived, meaning they came from the environment and somehow got into the brain. Magnetite nanoparticles can enter the brain through the nasal cavity. If this were the case, the concentration of these magnetic particles would be highest in the olfactory bulb region of the brain, which is located directly above the nose; In the back of the brain, away from the nose, magnetite nanoparticles should be few in number because they can't easily get there. Moreover, since everyone breathes the same air, there should be no difference in the presence of the substance in the brains of men and women.
However, the researchers found no difference in the number of magnetite crystals in the front and back of the brain. The results were also inconsistent between male and female brains. Obviously, the theory of external origin is not accurate.
Why do you have magnetite crystals in your brain?
No one knows for sure, but many researchers have come up with their own guesses. It has been suggested that this is a kind of navigation system that is inherent to humans but has gradually disappeared over time. Most nomads, especially in extreme conditions, can navigate effectively without a compass or sunlight. Other researchers have suggested air pollution is to blame, while others have linked it to neurodegenerative diseases and aging.
Experiments have shown that almost all the magnetic substances in some organisms are self-synthesized, and all the biological functions of magnetic field sensing organs come from these highly evolved ferromagnetic crystals wrapped in the sensory system.
Could birds have magnetic crystals in their brains that help them navigate do the same in humans? A study published in 2019 hopes to answer that question. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology, The University of Tokyo and Princeton University tested whether humans could respond reflectively to the Earth's magnetic field.
The researchers placed the subjects in an isolation chamber filled with magnetic fields to ensure that the experiment was free from external magnetic interference. They found that the subjects' brains showed significant patterns of neural activity, meaning certain areas of the brain showed signs of activity in response to the artificial magnetic field.
The jury is still out, however, because most experiments in the field have been isolated and few have been repeated. So could these crystals in the brain help us become Magneto? Probably not, because we don't know what function these magnetic particles have in the brain. At present, the research on this subject is very limited. With a lot of research into other organisms, and further research into the subject in the future, we may soon understand just how powerful magnetic nanocrystals are in everyday life. Until then, we'll leave the ability to control objects with our brains to science fiction.
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