Bacteria ‘R’ Us

Miller-McCune ^ | 10-18-2010 | Valerie Brown

[grey_whiskers]

A few scientists noticed in the late 1960s that the marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri appeared to coordinate among themselves the production of chemicals that produced bioluminescence, waiting until a certain number of them were in the neighborhood before firing up their light-making machinery. This behavior was eventually dubbed “quorum sensing.” It was one of the first in what has turned out to be a long list of ways in which bacteria talk to each other and to other organisms.

[grey_whiskers]

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

*PING*

[Bernard Marx]

It was one of the first in what has turned out to be a long list of ways in which bacteria talk to each other and to other organisms.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet Act 1, scene 5

[skr]

Very interesting on so many fronts. Thanks for posting.

[Smokin' Joe]

Waiting for PETA to jump in with an anti-antibiotic campaign in 3...2....1...

[doesnt suffer fools gladly]

Has anyone seen the tv show called, Monsters Inside Me? It’s on the Animal Planet network. They reenact terrible stories where people get infected by parasites, usually from eating raw food or taking a trip to Africa and similar places. The graphics are great. Scary stuff.

[TomasUSMC]

Little itty bity piles of pond scum is what we are ....well that and a soul.

[Judith Anne]

Very engrossing article, thanks for posting.

[I Buried My Guns]

I just got back from Vieques, Puerto Rico, where they have this thing called the Bioluminescent Bay. The water there contains these tiny phytoplanktons that, when perturbed, put off light, kinda like a firefly. We actually got in and swam around, which is kinda gross when you think about it, because we got little phytoplanktons all over us.

It was super cool though; when you smacked the water it glowed!

[SunkenCiv]

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[Cold Heart]

I remember a night watch in the Arabian Sea where you could not discern the difference between the star studded sky and the spot bioluminesence in the blackened sea. It appeared we were in deep space surrounded by stars.

There is spot, sheet, and ball bioluminescence in the sea.

Came upon a glowing mass while night stalking in the woods one night. Mushrooms

[married21]

Pictures?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Shades of this in E. O. Wilson's work:

An ant hill behaves like an extended organism. Maybe our brains are just an ant hill of neurons? Our bodies are just an ant hill of bacteria?

We think therefore we are.

[wolfcreek]

Can’t exist without dim good bacteria.

[bigheadfred]

I thought it over and have come down on the side that it is a good thing there is no luminescence in feces. Sure, you’re clothing would capture any ejected bacteria during an episode of flatulence. But what if it didn’t? What if a green cloud comes boiling out from under your skirt? ;-))

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, if I’m wearin’ a skirt, green flatulence would be the least of my problems. Not that I don’t have the legs for it of course.

[ForGod'sSake]

Thank God for thermal imaging!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0wu-1OaFJ8&NR=1