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A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the surrounding space, in addition to its electric field. The magnetic field exerts a force on any other moving charge or current that is present in the field. Like an electric field, the magnetic field is also a vector field. At any position, the direction of the magnetic field is defined as the direction in which the north pole of a compass needle points.
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  11. A Reproducible Model For Magnetosensitivity: Earthworms In Transparent Soil Reduce Their Cumulative Movement In An Extremely Weak Magnetic Field

A reproducible model for magnetosensitivity: earthworms in transparent soil reduce their cumulative movement in an extremely weak magnetic field

Michael Bar-Ziv1, Dan Szklowin1, Oren Pearlson1

  • 1Hula Research Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Tel Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, Israel.

Biology Letters
|October 7, 2025

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Assessing the Influence of Personality on Sensitivity to Magnetic Fields in Zebrafish
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View abstract on PubMed

Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Earthworms exhibit reduced movement in near-zero magnetic fields (nZMF), indicating a potential magnetic sense. This reproducible finding offers a new model system for studying magnetoreception.

Area of Science:

  • Sensory biology
  • Animal behavior
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Magnetoreception, the ability to detect magnetic fields, is a poorly understood sensory modality.
  • Research has been hindered by a lack of simple, reproducible model systems for study.
  • Earthworms are proposed as a model organism to investigate magnetic sense.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate magnetoreception in earthworms using a novel experimental setup.
  • To establish a reproducible model system for studying the biological effects of magnetic fields.
  • To analyze earthworm behavior in response to controlled magnetic field variations.

Main Methods:

  • Earthworms were observed in transparent soil under controlled magnetic field conditions.
  • Video recordings were utilized for detailed behavioral analysis.
Keywords:
DeepLabCutHelmholtz coilsdirectionalitymagnetic sensing

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  • Machine learning algorithms were employed to quantify earthworm movement and activity.
  • Near-zero magnetic fields (nZMF) were experimentally generated and applied.

    • Main Results:

    • Earthworms demonstrated significantly reduced movement when exposed to a near-zero magnetic field (nZMF).
    • The observed effect of nZMF on earthworm activity was highly reproducible across all experimental trials.
    • While some instances of group magnetic directionality were noted, this phenomenon was not consistently reproducible.

    Conclusions:

    • The study presents a robust protocol using earthworms in transparent soil for magnetoreception research.
    • Reduced earthworm activity in nZMF suggests a measurable magnetic sense, providing a valuable model system.
    • This research offers a potential breakthrough for understanding the biological basis of magnetoreception.
    movement
    near-zero magnetic field