Magnetite minerals in the human brain: What is their role?

Abstract

Although it has long been known that magnetite (Fe3O4) can be formed biochemically by bacteria, protists, and a variety of living organisms, it is only in the past 20 years that magnetite has discovered to be present in the human brain. Researchers have documented the presence of magnetite nanocrystals in the human brain using magnetometric methods and transmission electron microscopy. To understand the mechanism behind the formation of magnetite nanocrystals in the human brain, we have chosen to take a transdisciplinary approach associating studies of magnetite biomineralization in other species and geochemical research. Although the exact role of magnetite nanocrystals on human cerebral physiology has yet to be determined, we suspect that it plays a significant role in the nervous system.