Dossier
Iron-rich immune cells
Coverage of Iron-rich immune cells in the Nexus archive.
- Iron-rich immune cells help homing pigeons navigate
A study reveals that iron-rich immune cells play a role in homing pigeons' navigation abilities. The research was published on Science.org, indicating a scientific discovery about avian navigation mechanisms.
- How pigeons exploit magnetic fields for navigation
Scientists have identified iron-rich immune cells in the livers of homing pigeons that may help them detect magnetic fields, as reported in a new study published in Science. The research explores three hypotheses for how birds sense Earth's geomagnetic field, including magnetic particles in the beak, voltage-sensitive ion channels, and retinal pigments, though none fully explain the mechanism.