Unlocking Cell Memory: Simple Organisms Showing Brain-like Learning

A study led by Harvard Medical School reveals that cells, including those in humans and single-cell creatures, can learn through habituation, once thought unique to brains in complex organisms. This discovery could redefine our understanding of cancer resistance and bacterial adaptation, opening new avenues for research.

A groundbreaking study suggests that even cells without brains, like those making up the human body, may have the ability to 'learn' through a process called habituation.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and the Centre for Genomic Regulation provided compelling evidence showing that cells can exhibit learning behavior similar to complex organisms. Their findings, published in Current Biology, add to the growing field of study regarding learning and memory at the cellular level.

This research could offer insights into cellular mechanisms in cancer resistance to chemotherapy and bacterial antibiotic resistance, although further real-world data is needed to confirm these possibilities.

(With inputs from agencies.)