Abstract
Hairs on the abdomen of honeybees contain dendrites and a rod and ring structure composed of black particles, presumed to be superparamagnetic (SPM) magnetite. The rod and ring were divided into compartments and each compartment approximated by a dipole. The magnetic fields were calculated at a point P at various locations for a change of the external geomagnetic field from zero to 0.5 G in 0.1 s. The magnetite amplifies the external field at the rod/ring-dendrite interface. The induced electric field and potential difference for a small circular area are in the order of 10−7 V/m and 10−13 V respectively. Mechanisms are proposed for amplifying the electric fields in the dendrite and in an integrating nerve fibre. A hypothesis is developed for associative learning of visual and magnetic stimuli. If magnetic and visual inputs are associated in the ganglion and in the brain, very small changes of either magnetic or visual inputs could be perceived. A bee could sequentially follow the images associated with magnetic gradients on a cloudy day and find the food source.
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This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. Dr. W. Reichardt, an outstanding scientist and personality, who will be greatly missed by all who knew him and his work
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Schilf, H., Canal, G. The magnetic and electric fields induced by superparamagnetic magnetite in honeybees. Biol. Cybern. 69, 7–17 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201404
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00201404