Bacteria do not have a brain, a mouth that allows them to speak, or senses like ours. Although it may seem like it is not easy to create memories in such a situation, it has been revealed that bacteria can not only create memories but also transmit these memories to the next generations.
The bacterial species scientifically known as Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli bacillus, is one of the most common bacteria in the world and has been the subject of many different studies. Still, this single-celled creature continues to surprise scientists endlessly.
E. coli can remember its experiences for hours.
Of course, it does not show that E. coli actually creates memories through tests such as going and finding the match of the cards. In other words, they do not have a conscious memory like we do. They mostly show these features in the changes in decision-making mechanisms. Souvik Bhattacharyya, the lead author of the study conducted by researchers from the University of Texas, said that bacteria store information about the environment they are in, and they can use these memories if they are in an environment very often.
In the experiment involving more than 10 thousand bacteria, the spreading and grouping behaviors of the bacteria were observed. While searching for food, bacteria quickly move from one point to another. Bacteria spread and search for food in the area, and when they find food, they gather together. While bacteria move rapidly in iron-dense environments that are low in cellular iron, they come together in iron-dense environments. When they move to an environment where iron is low, they quickly move towards an iron-dense environment and do not search for food again.
They can also pass on information to subsequent generations.
Another remarkable aspect of the research was that the bacteria transferred this information they acquired to the next generations. While it was revealed that this knowledge was transferred for at least four generations, subsequent generations were observed to move even faster.
Scientists believe that bacteria create a memory system based on iron. Before our planet became what it is today, there was no oxygen in the atmosphere for a long time, and bacteria used iron to carry out their intracellular functions. That’s why it is considered normal that memory-creating mechanisms are shaped using iron.
Researchers believe that a better understanding of the movements and memory mechanisms of bacteria will have a great impact on future studies. Thus, it will be possible to reveal how bacteria develop mechanisms and become immune to drugs.
The research was published in PNAS.
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