The Personality of Bacteria

Psalm 138:6
“Though the LORD [be] high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.”

Scientists are learning that even the lowly bacteria have mind and memory. New research is showing that mind, memory, brain, and personality did not evolve. These can be found in the lowliest of creatures, including the bacteria.

Another sign of intelligence in a life form is the ability to learn. Using attracting and repelling substances, scientists have found that bacteria can learn about their surroundings and draw conclusions. Follow-up tests showed that they later remember what they learned. Scientists have even found that younger bacteria learn better than older ones. If some things are not learned when young, they never can be learned! It seems that it’s hard to teach an old bacterium new tricks!

The biggest surprise of all came when scientists discovered that bacteria have what the researchers called individual personality. They are mystified about how bacteria, each with the same genetic structure and from the same environment, can develop unique quirks in behavior. Because we find individual personality even in the lowly bacteria, we know that did not evolve.

That God would give even a bacterium the gift of personality shows us something about His mind toward us. Nothing is so small or unimportant that it escapes His attention. Since He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue us from the decay that is in the world because of sin, there is no force too great for Him to overcome. Surely He is a God of details as well as a God of love, Who is concerned about every individual among us.

Prayer:
Lord, even Your creation shows how You are concerned for every living thing. Never let me doubt Your concern about every detail of my life and help me to communicate Your care to those around me. Amen.

Notes:
Pietsch, Paul. 1983. “The mind of a microbe.” Science Digest, Oct. p. 103.