Slide 4 of 32
Notes:
Now, one of the most exciting discoveries in general microbiology has been that bacteria are engaged in extensive chemical communication that quite often leads to density-dependent behavior, termed ‘quorum sensing.’
First identified in bioluminescent bacteria, and studied extensively in clinically important biofilms (such as those involved in the disease cystic fibrosis), as illustrated here, quorum sensing is also involved in basic defensive and foraging strategies.
It must be noted that this diagram is schematic, and that work has not been done on the scale of individual organisms.
