Attractant
A chemical substance that draws organisms toward it. In bacterial chemotaxis, attractants like glucose and aspartate trigger swimming behavior that moves cells up concentration gradients toward the source.
Biological Context
Attractants bind to membrane receptors and suppress the tumbling behavior that would otherwise randomize bacterial movement. This creates a biased random walk toward the attractant source. Common bacterial attractants include sugars (glucose, maltose), amino acids (aspartate, serine), and oxygen. Organisms evolve receptors for attractants that signal food, mates, or favorable conditions.
Business Application
Market attractants pull companies toward opportunities—growing customer segments, emerging technologies, regulatory tailwinds. The strategic question is receptor tuning: are you sensing the attractants that predict long-term success, or chasing every shiny signal?