All living cells are cognitive

Abstract

All living cells sense and respond to changes in external or internal conditions. Without that cognitive capacity, they could not obtain nutrition essential for growth, survive inevitable ecological changes, or correct accidents in the complex processes of reproduction. Wherever examined, even the smallest living cells (prokaryotes) display sophisticated regulatory networks establishing appropriate adaptations to stress conditions that maximize the probability of survival. Supposedly "simple" prokaryotic organisms also display remarkable capabilities for intercellular signalling and multicellular coordination. These observations indicate that all living cells are cognitive.

Keywords: Biofilms, multicellular behavior, migration and predation; Chemosensing and chemotaxis; DNA exchange and DNA damage repair; Quorum sensing and intercellular signaling; Self/nonself discrimination; Sensory perception and regulation.