MAGNETITE BIOMINERALIZATION AND MAGNETORECEPTION IN HONEYBEES (APIS MELLIFERAS)

• Main Authors: NG CHEN SIANG, 黃貞祥
• Other Authors: CHIA-WEI LI
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/55628390225776691630

碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 生命科學系 === 91 === The honeybee can deposit iron materials intracellularly. Numerous iron granules are formed in the trophocytes, which are located in abdomen. Previous study showed that iron granules contain superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles which were identified as suitable for magnetoreception, but biochemical, biophysical and magnetic properties of these nanoparticles are still lacking. Several theories of magnetoreception in animal have been proposed, but the mechanism still remains elusive. Understanding the characteristics of the magnetite nanoparticles in honeybee is one of the prerequisites for learning how the signal of magnetic sense is detected and transmitted. In this study, the magnetic material of honeybees was isolated by using a magnetic column. Electron paramagnetic resonance was used to analysis the anisotropic fields in magnetic nanoparticles of honeybees. Isolated superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles of about 15.8 nm in diameter are identified. Atomic force microscope/magnetic force microscope was also tried to locate the magnetic domain walls in iron-rich granules in trophocytes of honeybees. Furthermore, SDS-PAGE was used to study the proteins that involve in biomineralization process.