Environmental Microbiology

The available scientific evidence shows that bacteria have mechanisms of communicating, although they are speechless. The two major ways that bacteria use to communicate with each other are chemical and electronic communication (Reguera 506). Chemical communication is the most common type of communication among the bacteria. Fungi use pheromones as the chemical medium of communication (Reguera 506). They use the medium to attract each other. Chemical communication enhances the cell-to-cell communication in the bacteria. In cell-to-cell communication, the bacteria use nanowires. Nanowires provide the bacteria with two kinds of electronic communication flows. The first flow enhances the fast flow of electrons, which occurs at high voltages (Reguera 506). The other flow is characterized with a high-resistance path. The path indicates the metabolic status of the bacteria (Reguera 506).

The efficiency of cell-to-cell communication depends on the density of the bacteria (Bassler 1). As density increases, the cells become closer and the cell-to-cell communication becomes faster. Quorum sensing occurs faster at high bacterial density than at low bacterial density. However, when the density reaches the optimum level the bacterial cells detect the threshold (Reguera 508). They trigger the re-programming of the cells which reduces the density to the levels that favor the effective cell-to-cell communication.

The requirements of electronic communication, in terms of density, are contrary to those of cell-to-cell communication. In electronic communication, the bacteria use nanowires which create an electronic flow between the bacteria (Mercola 1). The nanowires are stronger when the density of the bacteria is low, and they weaken as the density increases. An example of the bacteria that uses nanowires for communication is Geobacter sulfur–reducens (iron reducing bacteria). Other bacteria, for example, Escherichia coli, also use electronic communication (Reguera 511).

In summary, there two main ways of bacterial communication: chemical communication and electronic communication. Chemical (cell-to-cell) communication depends on density. Increase in density increases the rate of communication until the density reaches the threshold level, where communication becomes ineffective. Electronic communication uses nanowires, and the nanowires are stronger at low density than at high density.

Works Cited

Bassler, Bonnie L. “Cell-to-Cell Communication in Bacteria,” Our Scientists. 2014. Web.

September 23, 2014. https://www.hhmi.org/research/cell-cell-communication-bacteria

Reguera, Gemma. “Are Microbial Conversations being Lost in Translations?” Microbe, Vol.4

(11). 2009. Print.

Mercola, Joseph. “How Bacteria Communicate with Each Other.” 2012. Web. September 23,