In the standard evolutionary scenario, very simple one-celled prokaryotes (a type of cell considered much 'simpler' than the eukaryotic cells which make up the life we see around us in plants and animals), such as bacteria, are considered to exist individually and primitively. A great deal has been said about the predictive nature of evolution, and yet I am willing to bet that evolutionists never predicted what they have found true about bacteria:
Bacterial communication: Tiny teamwork
E. PETER GREENBERG
E. Peter Greenberg is at the Carver College of Medicine and in the Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA.
Until recently, bacteria were considered to be self-contained and self-sufficient individuals. These unicellular organisms were thought to lack the sophistication of plants and animals to organize into multicellular groups. We also assumed that they lacked the ability to communicate, a crucial function for organizing group activities. Our view has changed. Bacteria can organize into groups, they can communicate, and these abilities are important factors in the development of many diseases. Organized groups of bacteria in the form of biofilms often cause persistent infections, such as those of the middle ear, urinary tract, bone, heart valves and implanted medical devices. Because we have not considered the problem of group biology in bacteria until recently, we lack good therapeutic strategies to treat biofilm infections.
Nature, July 10, 2003
Bacteria and evolution
Discussion in 'Creation vs. Evolution' started by Helen, Jul 27, 2003.
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Hmmmm. Could biofilms represent an intermediate step towards multicellular life?
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We were taught that bacteria can communicate and "cooperate" in bacteriology classes in 1967. I don't see what's so new about it. Of course, we've gotten a great deal of additional confirmation, such as this finding about specific "films".
Freeman and Bassler were investigating how bacteria communicate in such situations over a decade ago. Here's one of their recent findings on the subject:
http://jb.asm.org/cgi/content/abstract/181/3/899 -
I can remember discussing large-scale coordination of microorganisms in certain environments when I was a grad student in biogeography a couple of decades ago.
-Neil