The Hypothesis of a "Living Pulse" in Cells

Motility is a great biosignature and its pattern is characteristic for specific microbes. However, motion does also occur within the cell by the myriads of ongoing processes within the cell and the exchange of gases and nutrients with the outside environment. Here, we propose that the sum of these p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Life (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2023-07, Vol.13 (7), p.1506
Main Authors: Walther-Antonio, Marina, Schulze-Makuch, Dirk
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Biomechanics
biosignature
Cells
Circadian rhythm
Cyanobacteria
Extraterrestrial environments
Extraterrestrial life
Extreme environments
Food industry
Food processing
Food processing industry
Human mechanics
Hypotheses
intracellular movements
Investigations
Metabolism
Microorganisms
Microscopy
Motility
Nutrients
Opinion
Organisms
Processing industry
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Summary:Motility is a great biosignature and its pattern is characteristic for specific microbes. However, motion does also occur within the cell by the myriads of ongoing processes within the cell and the exchange of gases and nutrients with the outside environment. Here, we propose that the sum of these processes in a microbial cell is equivalent to a pulse in complex organisms and suggest a first approach to measure the "living pulse" in microorganisms. We emphasize that if a "living pulse" can be shown to exist, it would have far-reaching applications, such as for finding life in extreme environments on Earth and in extraterrestrial locations, as well as making sure that life is not present where it should not be, such as during medical procedures and in the food processing industry.
ISSN:2075-1729
2075-1729
DOI:10.3390/life13071506