Talmudic Question #101
How many cells does it take to make a biofilm?
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I would say a couple of thousands. My reason is the DBL — the diffusive boundary layer — since it takes several thousands of cells of bacteria to form enough surface area that would be affecting significant mass transfer of chemical species.
This is a chicken and egg question now, since you could always ask me: what is "significant" mass transfer? good question, I would answer. I think it depends on the ecological niche. if it is the sea, than a biofilm of 1 cm^2 do nothing to the oceans mass transfer. If it is a small flow cell than... well you get what Im saying
2 cells: one cell to attach to a surface and the other to attach to the first cell.
Or perhaps a single cell biofilm; just a cell attached to a surface producing LPS.
It only takes one cell to create a biofilm. For instance, colony biofilms arise from a single cell on a plate. Or is the question how many cells have to be present to be considered a biofilm? A biofilm is defined as a community of bacteria (as well as eDNA, proteins, exopolysaccharides etc.). So how many cells have to be present to be considered a community?
"It takes two to party" doesn't hold for bugs, i fear. In the known cases the biofilm party only gets started if enough planctonic bugs around crave for party (quorum sensing) loud enough. So it takes probably more the equivalent to a well populated disco...
None. Assuming a broader definition of life, a self replicating biopolymer, such as a ribozyme, with an affinity for a nearby surface would suffice.
According to Talmudic law it would be ten adult bacteria. . .
Does one bacterium a population make? If 'yes' then one microbe can be a biofilm. If 'No' then two bacteria can be a biofilm (with the caveat that the two must be within 'communicable' distance of each other). Presuming a biofilm represents a viable population of microbes on a surface which resist removal.
Same as the number of neurons it takes to make a brain.
–bks