Quorum Sensing
A system of cell-to-cell communication that enables bacteria to coordinate group behavior based on population density. Bacteria release signaling molecules that trigger collective actions only when concentration exceeds a threshold.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 5 chapters:
"... "volatile organic compounds" permeate the organization, detected by employees, triggering behavioral responses - often unconsciously. Bacteria: Quorum Sensing and Chemical Coordination Bacteria are single cells. But they don't act alone - they coordinate using chemical signaling called quorum sensing. Eac..."
"Nature, 450(7172), 411-414. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06279 [PAYWALL] *Experimental evidence that cooperative signaling systems (bacterial quorum sensing) are vulnerable to cheaters but stabilize at mixed equilibria—cheaters succeed when rare but fail when common, explaining evolutionary maintenance of..."
"Book 5, Chapter 5: Quorum Sensing - Knowing When You're Not Alone Part 1: Theory - The Democracy of Microbes In a petri dish in a Princeton laboratory in the 1960s, marine biolog..."
"Better sites elicit more enthusiastic dances, attracting more scouts, who inspect and dance if they agree. The swarm uses quorum sensing: when enough scouts (typically 15-20) converge on a single site, the swarm commits and moves. The decision is distributed - no queen or leader decide..."
"Chemical Signaling (Pheromones) ✅ 2. Acoustic Communication ✅ 3. Visual Signals ✅ 4. Honest vs Deceptive Signals ✅ 5. Quorum Sensing ✅ 6. Alarm Calls & Information Cascades ✅ 7. Coordinated Movement (Murmuration) ✅ 8. Mycorrhizal Networks (Information Transfer) ✅ **Book 5 aggregat..."
Biological Context
Vibrio fischeri only produces bioluminescence when population density is high enough for the light to be useful. Pathogenic bacteria often use quorum sensing to coordinate virulence—waiting until numbers are sufficient to overwhelm host defenses. Quorum sensing enables sophisticated collective behavior in organisms without nervous systems.
Business Application
Organizational quorum sensing: behaviors that emerge only when team size or customer base reaches critical thresholds. Slack adoption in a company follows quorum sensing—individual use is pointless; collective use creates value. Network products require quorum to function.