Synchronization of Electrical Oscillations in the Organization of Social Life of Microorganisms

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Abstract

Many microorganisms form communities whose members coordinate their actions in solving common problems. One form of such communities is a biofilm. In the experiments on recovering the integrity by a damaged biofilm, data were obtained on oscillators in relatively quiet and active loci of the film formed by cyanobacteria Oscillatoria terebriformis. To study the interaction between different parts of the biofilm, field potentials were recorded simultaneously from two loci. The presence of a functional connection between different zones of the biofilm was revealed by calculation of the cross-correlation coefficients. The level of synchronization of field potentials between areas was determined using the coefficients of frequency and frequency-time coherence. In the loci of increased and decreased activity, different values of the frequency and amplitude of electrical oscillations were revealed. A high level of synchronization was registered between the active zones, which persisted for several seconds. The registered synchronization of oscillations between the active and quiet loci was considerably lower. The results that characterize the organization of the process of problem solving by a cyanobacterial film as an integral unit can serve as a model of the processes of organization of other biosocial structures for solving problems.

General Information

Keywords: cyanobacteria, social organization, electrical oscillations, biofilms, synchronization, coherence, coordination, integration

Journal rubric: Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/exppsy.2020130310

Funding. The work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, State Assns. nos. 0159-2019-0001 and 0159-2019-0009.

For citation: Grechenko T.N., Kharitonov A.N., Zhegallo A.V., Sumina E.L., Sumin D.L. Synchronization of Electrical Oscillations in the Organization of Social Life of Microorganisms. Eksperimental'naâ psihologiâ = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2020. Vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 132–142. DOI: 10.17759/exppsy.2020130310.

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Information About the Authors

Tatyala N. Grechenko, Doctor of Psychology, Leading Research, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7361-4714, e-mail: grecht@mail.ru

Alexandr N. Kharitonov, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific and Educational Center for Biopsychological Research, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis (NOCHU VO “Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis”); Leading Researcher at the Center for Experimental Psychology, Moscow State Psychological and Pedagogical University (FSBEI HE MGPPU), Deputy editor-in-chief of the scientific journal "Experimental Psychology", Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4801-9937, e-mail: ankhome47@list.ru

Alexander V. Zhegallo, PhD in Psychology, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Systems Research of the Psyche, Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Researcher at the Center for Experimental Psychology of MSUPE, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5307-0083, e-mail: zhegalloav@ipran.ru

Evgeniya L. Sumina, PhD in Biology, Researcher, Faculty of Geology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8848-2379, e-mail: stromatolit@list.ru

Dmitry L. Sumin, Paleontologist, Network Community of Researchers NISEEB, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4455-0819, e-mail: stromatolit@list.ru

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