Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Volume 38, Issue 4, December 2007, Pages 807–819
Bacteria are small but not stupid: cognition, natural genetic engineering and socio-bacteriology
J.A. Shapiro E-mail the corresponding author
DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2007.09.010
Abstract
Forty years’ experience as a bacterial geneticist has taught me that bacteria possess many cognitive, computational and evolutionary capabilities unimaginable in the first six decades of the twentieth century. Analysis of cellular processes such as metabolism, regulation of protein synthesis, and DNA repair established that bacteria continually monitor their external and internal environments and compute functional outputs based on information provided by their sensory apparatus. Studies of genetic recombination, lysogeny, antibiotic resistance and my own work on transposable elements revealed multiple widespread bacterial systems for mobilizing and engineering DNA molecules. Examination of colony development and organization led me to appreciate how extensive multicellular collaboration is among the majority of bacterial species. Contemporary research in many laboratories on cell–cell signaling, symbiosis and pathogenesis show that bacteria utilise sophisticated mechanisms for intercellular communication and even have the ability to commandeer the basic cell biology of ‘higher’ plants and animals to meet their own needs. This remarkable series of observations requires us to revise basic ideas about biological information processing and recognise that even the smallest cells are sentient beings.
Keywords
Computation; Sensing; Regulation; Cybernetic; Evolution
Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
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Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
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NOTA DESTE BLOGGER:
Mero acaso, fortuita necessidade ou Design Inteligente? Teleologia pura nas "simples" bactérias, o que dizer então da complexidade e diversidade de vida, especialmente dos seres humanos???
Darwin, companheiro, as suas especulações transformistas estão se transformando na pior gafe cometida pela comunidade científica. Quando isso acontecer, perguntaremos - Como uma teoria sem pé nem cabeça ILUDIU as mentes científicas mais brilhantes, apesar das montanhas de evidências contrárias?
Fui, nem sei por que, agradecendo a Michael Behe e o seu livro A Caixa Preta de Darwin - o desafio da bioquímica à teoria da evolução, através do qual minhas escamas anti-epistêmicas caíram e pude ver que a teoria de Darwin através da seleção natural e n mecanismos evolucionários de A a Z não é corroborada no contexto de justificação teórica!
Fui, nem sei por que, agradecendo a Michael Behe e o seu livro A Caixa Preta de Darwin - o desafio da bioquímica à teoria da evolução, através do qual minhas escamas anti-epistêmicas caíram e pude ver que a teoria de Darwin através da seleção natural e n mecanismos evolucionários de A a Z não é corroborada no contexto de justificação teórica!
