An inner ear magneto-receptor?
DOI: 10.1063/1.4797051
Johnsen and Lohmann reply: We agree with Mr. Purdy that the conductivity and triaxial orientation of the semicircular canals, combined with their vestibular function, make them intriguing suspects in the search for a magnetoreceptive organ. In fact, we proposed exactly that hypothesis in a previous article. 1 It definitely merits further investigation, although so far there is no evidence that the inner ear plays a role in magnetoreception.
References
1. S. Johnsen, K. J. Lohmann, Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 6, 703 (2005).https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1745
More about the authors
Sönke Johnsen, 1(sjohnsen@duke.edu) Duke University Durham, North Carolina, US .
Kenneth J. Lohmann, 2 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, US .
