Bacteria found to communicate like neurons in brain

[Bancopuma]

"Biologists have discovered that bacteria -- often viewed as lowly, solitary creatures -- are actually quite sophisticated in their social interactions and communicate with one another through similar electrical signaling mechanisms as neurons in the human brain."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151021135616.htm

Study:

Prindle, A., Liu, J., Asally, M., Ly, S., Garcia-Ojalvo, J. & Süel, G.M. (2015) Ion channels enable electrical communication in bacterial communities. Nature, In Press.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature15709.html

 

[Koornut]

I don't know why but I thought this had been the case (scientifically) for a long time. Sometimes I imagine that I'm in contact with the flora in my gut, and that gut instinct comes from this contact. Isn't there a superhighway like nerve running from the abdomen to the brain? Curious.

 

[Bancopuma]

The gut definitely is pretty sophisticated in terms of its nervous system wiring and link with the brain. This may be of interest:

http://www.nature.com/news/gut-brain-link-grabs-neuroscientists-1.16316

 

[Cognitive Heart]

Cool find! :thumb_up:

 

[Koornut]

Thanks B, that's what I remember reading

 

[universecannon]

The gut definitely is pretty sophisticated in terms of its nervous system wiring and link with the brain. This may be of interest:

http://www.nature.com/news/gut-brain-link-grabs-neuroscientists-1.16316

Michael Gershon's book The Second Brain goes deep into this topic. It's fascinating!