Summary
The spatial and temporal pattern of oscillating temperatures on the cell surface of a plasmodial strand ofPhysarum polycephalum was measured with a sensitive thermal image camera. The longitudinal tension of the strand was studied simultaneously. In the absence of chemical stimulation, the phases of the temperature oscillation observed at various portions of the strand were entrained with almost coincidental phase. The temperature and tension oscillation were synchronized, although the phase difference between them was occasionally changed. With local chemical stimulation, the phase of the temperature oscillation advanced in the portion to which the plasmodium would be induced to migrate. The phases between temperature and tension oscillations then became constant. The mechanism by which the plasmodium processes local information of chemical stimulus to global information for the migration is discussed.
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Tanaka, H., Yoshimura, H., Miyake, Y. et al. Information processing for the organization of chemotactic behavior ofPhysarum polycephalum studied by micro-thermography. Protoplasma 138, 98–104 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01281018
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01281018