The DOI matches its Crossref record; 61 of the 62 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
A Model for Photoreceptor-Based Magnetoreception in Birds
Open accessAbstract
A large variety of animals has the ability to sense the geomagnetic field and utilize it as a source of directional (compass) information. It is not known by which biophysical mechanism this magnetoreception is achieved. We investigate the possibility that magnetoreception involves radical-pair processes that are governed by anisotropic hyperfine coupling between (unpaired) electron and nuclear spins. We will show theoretically that fields of geomagnetic field strength and weaker can produce significantly different reaction yields for different alignments of the radical pairs with the magnetic field. As a model for a magnetic sensory organ we propose a system of radical pairs being 1) orientationally ordered in a molecular substrate and 2) exhibiting changes in the reaction yields that affect the visual transduction pathway. We evaluate three-dimensional visual modulation patterns that can arise from the influence of the geomagnetic field on radical-pair systems. The variations of these patterns with orientation and field strength can furnish the magnetic compass ability of birds with the same characteristics as observed in behavioral experiments. We propose that the recently discovered photoreceptor cryptochrome is part of the magnetoreception system and suggest further studies to prove or disprove this hypothesis.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“In recent years, quantum biology too has been benefitting considerably from the refinement of experimental tools that are beginning to provide direct access to the observation of quantum dynamics in biological systems [11-14]”
From Vibrations, quanta and biology (2013) · cites this paper as [11]
In the citing paper
“environment assisted excitation energy transport in photosynthesis [11, 15, 16], magneto-reception of birds [17-19] and the mechanism underlying olfaction [20, 21], for which there is some compelling theoretical and/or experimental evidence that quantum phenomena are essential for their understanding.”
From Vibrations, quanta and biology (2013) · cites this paper as [11]
Citations
Cites
Magnetic field effects in chemical kinetics and related phenomena
Steiner, U. E., & Ulrich, T. (1989) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/cr00091a003 · Cited by 1,660
Cryptochromes: Blue Light Receptors for Plants and Animals
Cashmore, A. R., Jarillo, J. A., Wu, Y., & Liu, D. (1999) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.284.5415.760 · Cited by 1,027
Magnetic Compass of European Robins
Wiltschko, W., & Wiltschko, R. (1972) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.176.4030.62 · Cited by 752
Magnetic Orientation in Animals
Wiltschko, R., & Wiltschko, W. (1995) · Zoophysiology · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-79749-1 · Cited by 741
Structure and function of DNA photolyase
Sancar, A. (1994) · Biochemistry · doi:10.1021/bi00167a001 · Cited by 664
A Stochastic Theory of Line Shape
Kubo, R. (1969) · Advances in chemical physics · doi:10.1002/9780470143605.ch6 · Cited by 447
A Biomagnetic Sensory Mechanism Based on Magnetic Field Modulated Coherent Electron Spin Motion
Schulten, K., Swenberg, C. E., & Weller, A. (1978) · Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie · doi:10.1524/zpch.1978.111.1.001 · Cited by 430
Self-citationBiogenic magnetite as a basis for magnetic field detection in animals
Kirschvink, J. L., & Gould, J. L. (1981) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/0303-2647(81)90060-5 · Cited by 415
Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing
(1978) · Proceedings in life sciences · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5 · Cited by 414
Grissom, C. B. (1995) · Chemical Reviews · doi:10.1021/cr00033a001 · Cited by 409
Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Kirschvink, 1996, A possible mechanism for coupling nonthermal levels of radiation to biological systems, Bioelectromagnetism, 17, 242
- Kubo, 1969, A stochastic theory of lineshape, Adv. Chem. Phys., 15, 101
- von Middendorff, 1859, Die Isepiptesen Russlands, Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Petersbourg VI, Ser. Tome, 8, 1
- Wiltschko, 1966, Orientierung zugunruhiger Rotkehlchen im statischen Magnetfeld, Verh. dt. zool. Ges., 59, 362
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 601–700 of 1,000
Environment-induced anisotropy and sensitivity of the radical pair mechanism in the avian compass
Carrillo, A., Cornelio, M. F., & de Oliveira, M. C. (2015) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.92.012720 · Cited by 15
Bischof, H., Nießner, C., Peichl, L., Wiltschko, R., & Wiltschko, W. (2011) · Communicative & Integrative Biology · doi:10.4161/cib.17338 · Cited by 15
Does magnetoreception mediate biological effects of power-frequency magnetic fields?
Vanderstraeten, J., & Burda, H. (2011) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.08.071 · Cited by 15
“It has been considered in several bird taxa and is thought to provide sensitivity to Earth's MF orientation only (Ritz et al., 2000; Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 2010).”
BackgroundUltrafast flavin/tryptophan radical pair kinetics in a magnetically sensitive artificial protein
Bialas, C., Barnard, D. T., Auman, D. B., McBride, R. A., Jarocha, L. E., Hore, P. J., Dutton, P. L., Stanley, R. J., & Moser, C. C. (2019) · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics · doi:10.1039/c9cp01916b · Cited by 15
Xiong, X., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., Wang, S., Li, L., & Gao, M. (2021) · Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2021.112164 · Cited by 15
Efimova, O., & Hore, P. J. (2009) · Molecular Physics · doi:10.1080/00268970902852624 · Cited by 15
Magnetic and other non-visual orientation mechanisms in some cave and surface urodeles
Schlegel, P. A. (2007) · Journal of Ethology · doi:10.1007/s10164-007-0071-y · Cited by 15
“Sensorial mechanisms involved in magnetic sensitivity could either make use of the visual system (see, e.g., Ritz et al. 2000) or of magnetite elements in the putative receptors (Wiltschko and Wiltschko 2005; Fleissner et al. 2003; Hanzlik et al. 2000; Winklhofer et al 2001).”
BackgroundCortex reorganization of Xenopus laeviseggs in strong static magnetic fields
Mietchen, D., Jakobi, J. W., & Richter, H.-P. (2005) · BioMagnetic Research and Technology · doi:10.1186/1477-044x-3-2 · Cited by 15
“However, the melanin might well be responsable for the effect, since it resembles vertebrate pigments discussed in relation to magnetoreception at Earth's field strength [18].”
Magnetosensitivity of Model Flavin–Tryptophan Radical Pairs in a Dynamic Protein Environment
Benjamin, P., Gerhards, L., Solov’yov, I. A., & Hore, P. J. (2025) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.5c01187 · Cited by 16
Tkemaladze, J. (2026) · Longevity Horizon · doi:10.65649/3hm9b025 · Cited by 24
Avian cryptochrome 4 binds superoxide
Deviers, J., Cailliez, F., de la Lande, A., & Kattnig, D. R. (2023) · Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal · doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2023.12.009 · Cited by 17
Neil, S. R. T., Maeda, K., Henbest, K. B., Goez, M., Hemmens, R., Timmel, C. R., & Mackenzie, S. R. (2010) · Molecular Physics · doi:10.1080/00268971003614368 · Cited by 14
Ilijin, L. A., Vlahović, M., Mrdaković, M., Mirčić, D., Prolić, Z., Lazarević, J. M., & Perić‐Mataruga, V. (2011) · International Journal of Radiation Biology · doi:10.3109/09553002.2011.542544 · Cited by 14
Xu, B.-M., Zou, J., Li, J., & Shao, B. (2013) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.88.032703 · Cited by 14
Ontogenetic development of magnetic compass orientation in domestic chickens ( Gallus gallus )
Denzau, S., Nießner, C., Rogers, L. J., & Wiltschko, W. (2013) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.088815 · Cited by 14
“The distribution of these cones across the entire retina, with their orientation in all spatial directions, meets the requirements of the radical pair model of magnetoreception (Ritz et al., 2000), and hence we take cryptochrome 1a to be the most likely candidate receptor molecule for sensing magnetic directions.”
BackgroundModeling magnetosensitive ion channels in the viscoelastic environment of living cells
Goychuk, I. (2015) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.92.042711 · Cited by 13
Hamada, M., Iwata, T., Fuki, M., Kandori, H., Weber, S., & Kobori, Y. (2021) · Communications Chemistry · doi:10.1038/s42004-021-00573-4 · Cited by 14
Jan, L., Fefer, D., Košmelj, K., Gaberščik, A., & Jerman, I. (2015) · Bioelectromagnetics · doi:10.1002/bem.21898 · Cited by 14
“…signals [Kirschvink, 1989; Shcherbakov and Winklhofer, 1999; Kirschvink et al., 2001; Pazur et al., 2007]; and (2) the existence of chemical reactions magnetically sensitive through radical-pair processes [Eichwald and Walleczek, 1996; Ritz et al., 2000; Maeda et al., 2008; Gegear et al., 2010].”
BackgroundMagnetoreception of Invertebrates
Vácha, M. (2017) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190456757.013.16 · Cited by 15
Sensing Magnetic Fields with Magnetosensitive Ion Channels
Goychuk, I. (2018) · Sensors · doi:10.3390/s18030728 · Cited by 14
Role of atomic spin-mechanical coupling in the problem of a magnetic biocompass
Cao, Y., & Yan, P. (2018) · Physical review. E · doi:10.1103/physreve.97.042409 · Cited by 14
Malkemper, E. P., & Peichl, L. (2018) · The Journal of Comparative Neurology · doi:10.1002/cne.24493 · Cited by 14
“If true, this pattern might be used in a variety of ways, be it as a magnetic compass (Ritz et al., 2000), as a three-dimensional grid to partition the local environment (Phillips, Muheim, & Jorge, 2010) or, as suggested for red foxes, as a range finder (Červený et al.”
BackgroundObservations about utilitarian coherence in the avian compass
Smith, L. D., Deviers, J., & Kattnig, D. R. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-09901-7 · Cited by 14
Magnetic Compass Orientation in Larval Iberian Green Frogs, Pelophylax Perezi
Diego‐Rasilla, F. J., & Phillips, J. B. (2007) · Ethology · doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01334.x · Cited by 14
“…1992a,b; Deutschlander et al. 1999; Phillips et al. 2001) and experimental evidence is consistent with a mechanism of magnetoreception involving a photo-induced biochemical reaction that forms radical pair intermediates (i.e. ‘radical pair mechanism’; Schulten & Windemuth 1986; Ritz et al. 2000).”
ResultTakeuchi, T., Kubo, Y., Okano, K., & Okano, T. (2014) · ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCE · doi:10.2108/zsj.31.152 · Cited by 13
“In migratory birds, CRY in the retina is postulated to operate as a magnetoreceptor by virtue of the spherical structure of the eye (Ritz et al., 2000).”
BackgroundRapporteur's report: sources and interaction mechanisms
Hore, P. J. (2004) · Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology · doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2004.08.005 · Cited by 14
Putman, N. F. (2022) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-021-01538-7 · Cited by 14
“The second set of articles bring the reader to questions associated with the role of radical pairs in magnetic field detection, a topic that has maintained considerable momentum (Ritz et al. 2000).”
BackgroundAntill, L. M., Kohmura, M., Jimbo, C., & Maeda, K. (2025) · Nature Photonics · doi:10.1038/s41566-024-01593-x · Cited by 12
“The first focuses on the radical pair mechanism for animal magnetoreception, which hypothesizes that radical pairs formed inside a flavoprotein (cryptochrome) allow different species to sense the geomagnetic field for orientation and navigation 2–5 .”
Detection of magnetic field effects by confocal microscopy
Déjean, V., Konowalczyk, M., Gravell, J., Golesworthy, M. J., Gunn, C., Pompe, N., Elst, O. F. V., Tan, K., Oxborrow, M., Aarts, D. G. A. L., et al. (2020) · Chemical Science · doi:10.1039/d0sc01986k · Cited by 13
Uzhytchak, M., Smolková, B., Frtús, A., Stupakov, A., Lunová, M., Scollo, F., Hof, M., Jurkiewicz, P., Sullivan, G. J., Dejneka, A., et al. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-38015-x · Cited by 13
Accelerating an integrative view of quantum biology
Kinsey, L. J., Beane, W. S., & Tseng, K. A.-S. (2024) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2023.1349013 · Cited by 13
Pleskač, L., Hart, V., Nováková, P., & Painter, M. S. (2017) · Folia Zoologica · doi:10.25225/fozo.v66.i2.a3.2017 · Cited by 13
“…compass involving a class of specialized photopigments forming radical-pair intermediates sensitive to the axis of the magnetic field, comes from theoretical and empirical studies, and is thought to be mediated by the visual transduction pathway (Ritz et al. 2000, 2004, Phillips et al. 2010).”
BackgroundAnalysis of zebrafish cryptochrome 2 and 4 expression in UV cone photoreceptors
Balay, S. D., Widen, S. A., & Waskiewicz, A. J. (2020) · Gene Expression Patterns · doi:10.1016/j.gep.2020.119100 · Cited by 13
Electroreceptors and Magnetoreceptors
Tricas, T. C., & Carlson, B. A. (2012) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-387738-3.00041-x · Cited by 13
Kominis, I. K. (2020) · Physical Review Research · doi:10.1103/physrevresearch.2.023206 · Cited by 17
Light‐dependent reactions of animal circadian photoreceptor cryptochrome
Öztürk, N. (2021) · FEBS Journal · doi:10.1111/febs.16273 · Cited by 13
Genetic analysis of cryptochrome in insect magnetosensitivity
Kyriacou, C. P., & Rosato, E. (2022) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.928416 · Cited by 12
“This is particularly surprising, because the canonical RPM requires light to generate the FADo− Trpo+ radical pair.”
BackgroundInfluentialMagnetic orientation of migratory robins, Erithacus rubecula, under long-wavelength light
Wiltschko, R., Denzau, S., Gehring, D., Thalau, P., & Wiltschko, W. (2011) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.059212 · Cited by 13
“This seemingly odd functional mode arises from the underlying physical mechanism mediating magnetic directions: the magnetic compass of birds is based on radical pair processes (Ritz et al., 2000; Ritz et al., 2004; Thalau et al., 2005).”
BackgroundClocks, cryptochromes and Monarch migrations
Kyriacou, C. P. (2009) · Journal of Biology · doi:10.1186/jbiol153 · Cited by 13
“These wavelengths (around 420 nm) fit the action spectrum of Drosophila CRY, and indeed it has been speculated that the photoinducible electron-transfer reaction of this flavoprotein generates magnetosensitive radical pairs [11].”
Background(2025) · doi:10.1021/acschembio.4c00576 · Cited by 12
“22 33-42 Some cryptochromes bind a flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor which is required for the formation of radical pairs inside the protein.”
Schneider, W. T., Holland, R. A., & Lindecke, O. (2023) · The European Physical Journal Special Topics · doi:10.1140/epjs/s11734-022-00755-8 · Cited by 12
“In contrast, a radical pair mechanism is understood to be disrupted by weak radiofrequency (RF) fields [3], but no disruption should be caused to an animal with a magnetite-based receptor.”
BackgroundFrederiksen, A., Langebrake, C., Hanić, M., Manthey, G., Mouritsen, H., Liedvogel, M., & Solov’yov, I. A. (2023) · ACS Omega · doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c02963 · Cited by 12
Structural Rearrangements of Pigeon Cryptochrome 4 Undergoing a Complete Redox Cycle
Schuhmann, F., Ramsay, J. L., Kattnig, D. R., & Solov’yov, I. A. (2024) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00424 · Cited by 12
Thöni, V., Dimova, E. Y., Kietzmann, T., Usselman, R. J., & Egg, M. (2024) · Redox Biology · doi:10.1016/j.redox.2024.103152 · Cited by 14
RadicalPy: A Tool for Spin Dynamics Simulations
Antill, L. M., & Vatai, E. (2024) · Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation · doi:10.1021/acs.jctc.4c00887 · Cited by 10
Approaching the Quantum Limit of Energy Resolution in Animal Magnetoreception
Kominis, I. K., & Gkoudinakis, E. (2025) · PRX Life · doi:10.1103/prxlife.3.013004 · Cited by 14
Generalized Holstein model for spin-dependent electron-transfer reactions
Yang, L., Ai, Q., & Sun, C. (2012) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.85.032707 · Cited by 11
Mora, C. V., Acerbi, M. L., & Bingman, V. P. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.101113 · Cited by 12
“A candidate molecule (cryptochrome) is thought to alternate between a singlet and a triplet state in a lightmediated radical-pair process with the ratio of the two states depending on the orientation of the magnetic field vector axis (Ritz et al., 2000).”
BackgroundIdentification of medaka magnetoreceptor and cryptochromes
Wang, Y., Chen, J., Zhu, F., & Hong, Y. (2016) · Science China Life Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11427-016-0266-5 · Cited by 11
“…accepted one is the chemical compass model, which was first proposed by Schulten (Schulten and Weller, 1978; Mohseni et al., 2014), then later modified by others (Ritz et al., 2000; Möller et *Corresponding author (email: dbshyh@nus.edu.sg) al., 2004; Maeda et al., 2008; Cai and Plenio, 2013).”
Kavokin, K. V. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0173887 · Cited by 12
Turning preference in dogs: North attracts while south repels
Adámková, J., Benediktová, K., Svoboda, J., Bartoš, L., Vynikalová, L., Nováková, P., Hart, V., Painter, M. S., & Burda, H. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0245940 · Cited by 12
“It is assumed that the magnetic field may generate a “visual” pattern of varying light intensity, color, and/or contrast superimposed on the normal visual scene [40,44,45].”
BackgroundAb initio derivation of flavin hyperfine interactions for the protein magnetosensor cryptochrome
Deviers, J., Cailliez, F., Gutiérrez, B. Z., Kattnig, D. R., & de la Lande, A. (2022) · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics · doi:10.1039/d1cp05804e · Cited by 12
Cheng, Q., Sun, J., Ge, Y., Xue, L., Mao, H., Zhou, L., & Zhao, J. (2023) · ACS Sensors · doi:10.1021/acssensors.2c02377 · Cited by 12
Magnetoreception in cryptochrome enabled by one-dimensional radical motion
Ramsay, J. L., & Kattnig, D. R. (2023) · AVS Quantum Science · doi:10.1116/5.0142227 · Cited by 13
‘Seeing’ the electromagnetic spectrum: spotlight on the cryptochrome photocycle
Aguida, B., Babo, J., Baouz, S., Jourdan, N., Procopio, M., El-Esawi, M. A., Engle, D., Mills, S. A., Wenkel, S., Huck, A., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1340304 · Cited by 12
“Quantum physical principles suggested that such a ‘ chemical magnetoreceptor ’ must undergo a reaction mechanism that generates radical pairs (Ritz and Schulten et al., 2000; Hore and Mouritsen, 2016).”
BackgroundDu, X., Wang, J., Pan, W., Liu, Q., Wang, X., & Wu, W. (2014) · Photochemistry and Photobiology · doi:10.1111/php.12276 · Cited by 12
“pair must be spin-correlated, which are most likely formed by photoinduced electron transfer (3,10).”
BackgroundErren, T. C., Erren, M., Lerchl, A., & Meyer‐Rochow, V. B. (2007) · Die Naturwissenschaften · doi:10.1007/s00114-007-0315-2 · Cited by 12
“Moreover, it has been found that magnetoreception in birds (Wiltschko et al. 2004; Wiltschko and Wiltschko 2002) and possibly amphibians and other animals as well (Ritz et al. 2000) requires blue light perception to function, providing further evidence in support of P4.”
BackgroundHong, G., Pachter, R., Essen, L., & Ritz, T. (2020) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/1.5133019 · Cited by 12
Self-citationFloquet theory of radical pairs in radiofrequency magnetic fields.
(21871397), H. H., (21871391), D. K., (21871400), D. M., & (21871394), P. H. (2025) · Figshare · Cited by 12
Bradlaugh, A. A., Munro, A. L., Jones, A. R., & Baines, R. (2021) · Quantum Reports · doi:10.3390/quantum3010007 · Cited by 11
“In 2000, Ritz first suggested that the blue-light (BL)-sensitive protein CRYPTOCHROME (CRY) might be the elusive magnetoreceptor in magnetically sensitive organisms [2].”
BackgroundValidating a model for detecting magnetic field intensity using dynamic neural fields
Taylor, B. K. (2016) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/j.jtbi.2016.08.010 · Cited by 12
Kramers escape rate for a charged particle in a magnetic field
Filliger, R., & Reimann, P. (2007) · Europhysics Letters (EPL) · doi:10.1209/0295-5075/77/30008 · Cited by 12
Protein and Solvent Reorganization Drives Radical Pair Stability in Avian Cryptochrome 4a
Luo, J., Hungerland, J., Solov’yov, I. A., Subotnik, J. E., & Hammes‐Schiffer, S. (2025) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/jacs.5c15726 · Cited by 11
Silkstone, G. G. A., & Wilson, M. T. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148369 · Cited by 11
“Furthermore, there is a well established theory that can provide a mechanism through which low strength magnetic fields may influence the temporal behavior of correlated radical pairs [6, 11], such as may be formed in cryptochrome during photoreduction or, possibly, during re-oxidation of the photoreduced protein by o…”
BackgroundAngular Precision of Radical Pair Compass Magnetoreceptors
Yi, R., Hiscock, H. G., & Hore, P. J. (2021) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2020.12.023 · Cited by 11
pH-dependence of signaling-state formation in Drosophila cryptochrome
Einholz, C., Nohr, D., Rodriguez, R., Topitsch, A., Kern, M., Goldmann, J., Chileshe, E., Okasha, M., Weber, S., & Schleicher, E. (2021) · Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics · doi:10.1016/j.abb.2021.108787 · Cited by 10
Laurien, M., Mende, L., Luhrmann, L., Frederiksen, A., Aldag, M., Spiecker, L., Clemmesen, C. M., Solov’yov, I. A., & Gerlach, G. (2024) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2024.0035 · Cited by 11
“Earlier studies of CRY4 proteins have often focussed on the study of residues of the proteins that could potentially be crucial for magnetic sensing through the so-called radical pair mechanism [27,29].”
BackgroundBio‐Inspired Adaptive and Responsive Protein‐Based Materials
Zhang, Y., Zhao, Q., Zhang, J., Wei, S., Tao, F., & Yang, P. (2024) · ChemPlusChem · doi:10.1002/cplu.202400309 · Cited by 11
Magneto-oncology: a radical pair primer
Hore, P. J. (2025) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2025.1539718 · Cited by 11
Cruz, I. (2025) · Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine · doi:10.1080/15368378.2025.2508466 · Cited by 11
“Even at field strengths in the microtesla range, the only widely accepted bio-physical mechanism capable of transducing such weak magnetic fields into biological responses is the Radical Pair Mechanism (Hore and Mouritsen 2016; Ritz et al. 2000; Zandieh et al. 2025).”
Decrypting the Nonadiabatic Photoinduced Electron Transfer Mechanism in Light-Sensing Cryptochrome
Costa, G. J., & Liang, R. (2025) · ACS Central Science · doi:10.1021/acscentsci.5c00376 · Cited by 10
The avian compass can be sensitive even without sustained electron spin coherence
Jain, R., Poonia, V. S., Saha, K., Saha, D., & Ganguly, S. (2021) · Proceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspa.2020.0778 · Cited by 10
“The cryptochrome protein-based radical pair system, widely believed to be the actual protein responsible for radical pairs in the avian compass, has multiple nuclear spins interacting with the radical pair via the hyperfine environment (figure 1) [4,40].”
BackgroundResultInfluence of Magnetic Fields on Electrochemical Reactions of Redox Cofactor Solutions
Park, J., Koehler, F., Varnavides, G., Antonini, M., & Anikeeva, P. (2021) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · doi:10.1002/anie.202106288 · Cited by 11
A magnet attached to the forehead disrupts magnetic compass orientation in a migratory songbird
Packmor, F., Kishkinev, D., Bittermann, F., Kofler, B., Machowetz, C., Zechmeister, T. C., Zawadzki, L. C., Guilford, T., & Holland, R. A. (2021) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.243337 · Cited by 11
“…of the birds’ eyes as the basis for the avian magnetic sense providing directional information, with the yield of these reactions depending on the alignment of a specific type of molecule (cryptochromes) to the magnetic field (e.g. Ritz et al., 2000; Hore and Mouritsen, 2016; Xu et al., 2021).”
BackgroundAlachkar, A. (2022) · Physics of Life Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2022.07.002 · Cited by 13
On the optimality of the radical-pair quantum compass
Smith, L. D., Glatthard, J., Chowdhury, F. T., & Kattnig, D. R. (2024) · Quantum Science and Technology · doi:10.1088/2058-9565/ad48b4 · Cited by 12
“Flavin-binding cryptochrome proteins, excitable by blue light and found, for example, in avian double-cone and long-wavelength single-cone photoreceptor cells [18], emerged as a key candidate thought to harbour the magnetosensitive radical-pair [19].”
BackgroundAnisotropic magnetoconductance in polymer thin films
Cox, M., Zhu, F., Veerhoek, J. M., & Koopmans, B. (2014) · Physical Review B · doi:10.1103/physrevb.89.195204 · Cited by 11
Migration: definition and scope
Dingle, H. (2014) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199640386.003.0002 · Cited by 11
Taylor, B. K., Johnsen, S., & Lohmann, K. J. (2017) · Bioinspiration & Biomimetics · doi:10.1088/1748-3190/aa6ccd · Cited by 11
“…field model can be modified to work with potential sensing mechanisms other than magnetite, such as the cryptochrome-based radical pair mechanism (Ritz et al 2000, Mouritsen et al 2004, Johnsen and Lohmann 2005, 2008, Reppert et al 2010, Wajnberg et al 2010, Gegear et al 2010, Mouritsen and Hore…”
BackgroundOrth, C., Niemann, N., Hennig, L., Essen, L., & Batschauer, A. (2017) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.m117.788869 · Cited by 11
“DNA-photolyases repair the two main UV lesions in DNA— cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) and pyrimidine-pyrimidone (6-4) photoproducts— whereas cryptochromes are UV-A/blue light photoreceptors, essential components of the circadian clock, or putative magnetic field sensors (1-6).”
BackgroundAtomistic Insights into Cryptochrome Interprotein Interactions
Kimø, S. M., Friis, I., & Solov’yov, I. A. (2018) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2018.06.029 · Cited by 11
Quantum control of radical pair reactions by local optimization theory
Masuzawa, K., Sato, M., Sugawara, M., & Maeda, K. (2020) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/1.5131557 · Cited by 11
Cryptochrome expression in avian UV cones: revisiting the role of CRY1 as magnetoreceptor
Pinzon-Rodriguez, A., & Muheim, R. (2021) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92056-8 · Cited by 12
Nuclear polarization effects in cryptochrome-based magnetoreception
Wong, S. Y., Solov’yov, I. A., Hore, P. J., & Kattnig, D. R. (2021) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/5.0038947 · Cited by 11
Photoreaction Mechanisms of Flavoprotein Photoreceptors and Their Applications
Iwata, T., & Masuda, S. (2021) · Advances in experimental medicine and biology · doi:10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_11 · Cited by 11
Tiwari, Y., & Poonia, V. S. (2023) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.107.052406 · Cited by 11
Kritsotakis, M., & Kominis, I. K. (2014) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.90.042719 · Cited by 11
Maestre‐Reyna, M., Yamamoto, J., Huang, W., Tsai, M., Essen, L., & Bessho, Y. (2018) · IUCrJ · doi:10.1107/s205225251800996x · Cited by 11
“Interestingly, cryptochromes can function as magnetoreceptors by lightinduced formation of magnetosensitive radical pairs (Ritz et al., 2000).”
BackgroundTong, T., Zhou, Y., Fei, F., Zhou, X., Guo, Z., Wang, S., Zhang, J., Zhang, P., Cai, T., Li, G., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences · doi:10.3389/fmolb.2022.1051943 · Cited by 9
“, 2020) and radical-pair based mechanism (Ritz et al., 2000; Liedvogel et al., 2007; Gegear et al., 2008; Lau et al., 2012; Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 2014; Xu et al., 2021), thus provided an solution for both polarity detection and inclination detection.”
BackgroundDimerization of European Robin Cryptochrome 4a
Hanić, M., Antill, L. M., Gehrckens, A. S., Schmidt, J., Görtemaker, K., Bartölke, R., El‐Baba, T. J., Xu, J., Koch, K., Mouritsen, H., et al. (2023) · The Journal of Physical Chemistry B · doi:10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01305 · Cited by 10
The application of quantum coherence as a resource
刘, S.-Y. 思. L., & 范, H. 桁. F. (2023) · Chinese Physics B · doi:10.1088/1674-1056/acfa85 · Cited by 12
Biophysical mechanism of animal magnetoreception, orientation and navigation
Panagopoulos, D. J., Karabarbounis, A., & Chrousos, G. P. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-77883-9 · Cited by 10
“By contrast, it was considered in relation to some hypothetical unknown organ or cell type (“electroreceptor”) presumably located in the eyes 34 or in the olfactory epithelium 23 .”
Magnetic effects in biology: Crucial role of quantum coherence in the radical pair mechanism
Binhi, V. N. (2025) · Physical review. E · doi:10.1103/n3fs-fsnv · Cited by 10
Zhang, Y., & Pan, W. (2021) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.12351 · Cited by 11
Simulating geomagnetic bird navigation using novel high-resolution geomagnetic data
Zein, B., Long, J., Safi, K., Kölzsch, A., Benitez‐Paez, F., Wikelski, M. C., Kruckenberg, H., & Demšar, U. (2022) · Ecological Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101689 · Cited by 10
“, 2015), either focusing on a single navigational strategy (Hore and Mouritsen, 2016; Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 2015) or on one geomagnetic value (Muheim et al., 2002; Ritz et al., 2000; Schiffner and Wiltschko, 2011; Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 2013).”
BackgroundRotov, A. Y., Goriachenkov, A. A., Cherbunin, R. V., Firsov, M. L., Chernetsov, N., & Astakhova, L. A. (2022) · Cells · doi:10.3390/cells11193056 · Cited by 10
“It was hypothesized that the magnetoreceptive system is localized in the retina of the eye and somehow coexists with photoreception, using photons of short-wavelength light to activate the radical reaction sensitive to the direction of an external magnetic field [7].”
BackgroundMotor Control: Correcting Errors and Learning from Mistakes
Miall, R. C. (2010) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2010.05.030 · Cited by 9
Remote sensing and navigation in the animal world: an overview
Klemas, V. (2013) · Sensor Review · doi:10.1108/02602281311294298 · Cited by 10
“Theories and experiments suggest that, in some birds, iron-containing magnetite crystals are associated with their nervous system and sensory receptors, while in others the response of visual pigments in the eye to EM energy is the basis for geomagnetic orientation (Johnsen and Lohmann, 2008; Lohmann and Johnsen, 2000…”
BackgroundTodorović, D. D., Perić‐Mataruga, V., Mirčić, D., Ristić‐Djurović, J. L., Prolić, Z., Petković, B. B., & Savić, T. (2014) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-014-3910-8 · Cited by 10
“It is known that cryptochrome (CRY) is capable of generating magnetically sensitive radical pair (Ritz et al. 2000; Mouritsen and Ritz 2005).”
BackgroundQuantifying Magnetic Sensitivity of Radical Pair Based Compass by Quantum Fisher Information
Guo, L.-S., Xu, B.-M., Zou, J., & Shao, B. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06187-y · Cited by 10
Metadata
- Authors
- Ritz, T., Adem, S., & Schulten, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schulten, Klaus
- Venue
- Biophysical Journal
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2000-02
- Volume
- 78
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 707-718
- ISSN
- 0006-3495 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC1300674
- OpenAlex
- W2138668594
- Cited by
- 1,176
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 68 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 66 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 71 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 71 · 2016: 59 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 73 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 42
- FWCI
- 8.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Biophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Center for Research Resources (P41RR005969)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Spectroscopy › Electron Spin Resonance Studies
- Keywords
- magnetoreception, birds, geomagnetic field, radical pairs, cryptochrome, photoreceptors, hyperfine interaction, magnetic compass, phototransduction, reaction yield
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Birds, Eye Proteins, Flavoproteins, Homing Behavior, Magnetics, Models, Biological, Visual Perception, Anisotropy, Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate, Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate, Drosophila Proteins, Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled, Cryptochromes
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
