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kippypapa t1_iuiq68j wrote

Reply to comment by Xambia in How do white blood cells know in which direction there is a bacteria? by Enocli

So why did these cells evolve this way? How did cells like this start out?

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Xambia t1_iuizjkj wrote

Are you asking "Why/how did white blood cells evolve chemotaxis?" or "Why/how did bacteria evolve to release chemoattractants?"

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CTH2004 t1_iujchrp wrote

well, I dunno bout him, but I'm curious about both!

and, basicly they "smell" bacteria, right?

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Limmert t1_iujwe7i wrote

They don’t «smell» it like we think of the word «smell». It’s more like: pieces (chemoattractants) fall of the bacteria and attaches to receptor on phagocyte (because high consentration of a substance = higher chance of said substance to «collide» with the receptor on the phagocyte).

And when a «piece» binds to the receptor it causes an intracellular signal in said phagocyte -> phagocyte shoots out lamellipodium (which basically is a grappler that binds to the ecm in the direction of the receptor binding, and contracts pulling the phagocyte in that direction) -> repeat until catching your target.

I don’t know if that made any sense? Or if it was an answer to your question? The evolution is rather uncertain i believe.

Edit: Fagocyte -> phagocyte

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CindyTheHooker t1_iujxurs wrote

Did you mean ‘Phagocyte’ instead of ‘Fagocyte’? Fagocyte gave me an interesting definition…

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