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Magnetite biomineralization in the human brain

Kirschvink, Joseph L. and Kobayashi-Kirschvink, Atsuko and Woodford, Barbara J. (1992) Magnetite biomineralization in the human brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 89 (16). pp. 7683-7687. ISSN 0027-8424. PMCID PMC49775. doi:10.1073/pnas.89.16.7683. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20130211-134215131

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Abstract

Although the mineral magnetite (Fe_3O_4) is precipitated biochemically by bacteria, protists, and a variety of animals, it has not been documented previously in human tissue. Using an ultrasensitive superconducting magnetometer in a clean-lab environment, we have detected the presence of ferromagnetic material in a variety of tissues from the human brain. Magnetic particle extracts from solubilized brain tissues examined with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and elemental analyses identify minerals in the magnetite-maghemite family, with many of the crystal morphologies and structures resembling strongly those precipitated by magnetotactic bacteria and fish. These magnetic and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements imply the presence of a minimum of 5 million single-domain crystals per gram for most tissues in the brain and greater than 100 million crystals per gram for pia and dura. Magnetic property data indicate the crystals are in clumps of between 50 and 100 particles. Biogenic magnetite in the human brain may account for high-field saturation effects observed in the T1 and T2 values of magnetic resonance imaging and, perhaps, for a variety of biological effects of low-frequency magnetic fields.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.89.16.7683 DOIArticle
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc49775/PubMed CentralArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Kirschvink, Joseph L.0000-0001-9486-6689
Additional Information:© 1992 National Academy of Sciences. Communicated by Leon T. Silver, May 7, 1992. We thank Dr. Carol Miller of the University of Southern California Medical School for providing access to brain materials, Drs. Juan Diaz-Ricci, Derek H. Fender, and Leon T. Silver for helpful support and discussions, and Dr. C. C. Patterson for ultrapure water. Dr. Brent Fultz and Ms. Carol Garland of the Caltech Materials Research Center provided essential help with the high-voltage electron microscopy. Drs. K. M. Towe and R. B. Frankel provided critical and useful reviews of the manuscript. This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant GM-41635, and the Caltech Materials Research Facility is supported by National Science Foundation Grant DMR-8811795. This is contribution 5068 from the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences of the California Institute of Technology.
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
NIHGM-41635
Caltech Materials Research FacilityUNSPECIFIED
NSFDMR-8811795
Subject Keywords:iron; extremely low frequency magnetic fields
Other Numbering System:
Other Numbering System NameOther Numbering System ID
Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences 5068
Issue or Number:16
PubMed Central ID:PMC49775
DOI:10.1073/pnas.89.16.7683
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20130211-134215131
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20130211-134215131
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:36851
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:25 Feb 2013 21:56
Last Modified:09 Nov 2021 23:25

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