Mechanism of distributed information processing based on oscillatory contraction of living organism

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24740066
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General mathematics (including Probability theory/Statistical mathematics)
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: ITO Kentaro 広島大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (20528351)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 数理モデル / 振動子系 / 真正粘菌 / パターン形成 / 情報処理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The plasmodium of the true slime mold Physarum Polysepharum is a large, single-celled amoeboid organism. This large organism extends its front for foraging. The slime mold can sense environmental information and change its behavior depending on the situations. For example, when the expanding front touches the wall, other part will start to move and become a new front in few minutes. It seems the slime mold transmits information from one side to another. However they do not have nerve system.
We made a mathematical model of the expanding slime mold to reveal their information processing. Our model reproduces fundamental characteristics of the front expanding, including change of direction. We found that the pressure of protoplasm plays a role as “information” in our model for change of moving direction.

Free Research Field

非線形科学・数理モデル