Biodiversity in a dish – bacteria as an indicator of an organism phenotypic differentiation

Abstract

We show a bacterial colony as a model organism for a body and appearance studies through an extrapolation of some specific experiments. We have confirmed a close relation between the phenotype variability boost and the rich environment conditions together with the lack of stress factors.

The thesis which follows our experiments is based on Adolf Portmann’s understanding of the appearance of the organism as a subject of its self-understanding. We also consider a surface area of a bacterial colony as a special semiautonomous expression organ.

Keywords

• bacterial colony
• morphogenesis
• biological niche
• biological aesthetics
• expression
• Portmann
• semiautonomous organ
• exaptation