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
![[img]](https://authors.library.caltech.edu/36851/1.hassmallThumbnailVersion/PNAS-1992-Kirschvink-7683-7.pdf)  Preview |
|
PDF
- Published Version
See Usage Policy.
1MB |
Use this Persistent URL to link to this item: https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20130211-134215131
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: | |
---|
ORCID: | |
---|
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 Agency | Grant Number |
---|
NIH | GM-41635 | Caltech Materials Research Facility | UNSPECIFIED | NSF | DMR-8811795 |
|
---|
Subject Keywords: | iron; extremely low frequency magnetic fields |
---|
Other Numbering System: | Other Numbering System Name | Other 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 |
---|
Repository Staff Only: item control page