Animal Minds; bacterial electrical signals (Animals)

by dhw, Saturday, January 14, 2017, 12:59 (2869 days ago) @ David Turell

https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/bacteria-recruit-other-species-with-electronic-messa...

QUOTE: "Think bacteria aren’t sophisticated? Think again. New research shows these microorganisms can send messages to potential new recruits in an effort to strengthen their communities known as biofilms."

QUOTE: "These signals are sent using extracellular potassium, which produces electrical waves that are broadcast through the biofilm. These signals control things such as cell metabolism and help ensure the entire biofilm gets enough sustenance to survive.” (David’s bold)

David’s comment: note the bold. Potassium is in high concentration within cells. This appears to be a release of some ionized potassium, which has an electrical charge to do the signaling. I suspect the bacteria receiving the electric signal then respond automatically to it.

I suspect that the bacteria deliberately and intelligently use their available means of communication (electrical waves) to recruit new members in order to strengthen their community, as the researchers tell us, and I suspect that the bacteria receiving the message deliberately and intelligently work out the meaning of the signals and deliberately and intelligently respond to them. Worth repeating the quote here: “Think bacteria aren’t sophisticated? Think again.”