Washington, Dec 17 : Scientists from Imperial College London and the University of Edinburgh have found that tiny crystals found inside bacteria provide a magnetic compass to help them navigate through sediment to find the best food.
They believe that the research may provide vital clues explain biomagnetism - a phenomenon in which some birds, insects and marine life navigate using the magnetic field that encompasses the Earth.
The researchers focused their study on magnetotactic bacteria, which contain chains of magnetic crystals, called magnetosomes. They exist all over the globe, living in lake and pond sediments and in ocean coastal regions.