What Was Observed? (Introduction)

• Researchers explored how cognition might not need a brain to exist, challenging the traditional view that brains are required for all types of thinking and problem-solving.
• They observed that even simple organisms, like single-celled creatures, can perform cognitive-like activities such as memory, decision making, and learning without brains or neurons.
• The article presents evidence showing that cognition can appear in organisms without nervous systems, such as plants, fungi, and certain single-celled organisms, suggesting cognition exists on a spectrum.

What Is Basal Cognition?

• Basal cognition refers to simple forms of cognitive processes observed in organisms that do not have brains or complex nervous systems.
• For example, some bacteria or fungi can communicate, make decisions, and even “learn” to optimize behaviors without having a brain.
• This challenges the traditional belief that cognition is strictly linked to the presence of neurons and complex nervous systems.

What Are the Key Insights About Cognition Without a Brain?

• Cognitive functions like memory, learning, and problem-solving are seen in organisms that don’t have neurons. These functions rely on chemical signals, electrical activity, and complex molecular processes.
• Even simple cells can process information, make decisions, and adapt based on experience, showing that cognition doesn’t require a brain or even a nervous system.
• Research in areas like developmental biology and regenerative medicine shows that bioelectrical circuits in cells can act as a form of “memory,” helping organisms regenerate and heal.

What Is the Role of Electrical and Chemical Signals in Cognition?

• Electrical signals, like those seen in neurons, are present in other types of cells as well, such as in plants and fungi, to coordinate complex behaviors.
• These signals help cells “communicate” with each other, organize into coordinated systems, and make decisions that affect the entire organism.
• In plants, for example, long-distance electrical signals help them respond to environmental changes and coordinate their growth above and below ground.

What Are the Evolutionary Origins of Nervous Systems?

• Research suggests that the origin of nervous systems was a gradual process that allowed organisms to process information more efficiently and respond to the environment in more complex ways.
• Initially, organisms used simple chemical signals for communication, but over time, this evolved into the sophisticated electrical communication seen in modern nervous systems.
• The earliest nervous systems may have been simple “nerve nets,” which integrated sensory information to control movement and behavior.

What Role Does Evolution Play in the Development of Cognition?

• The development of nervous systems allowed for more complex behaviors, from simple reflexes to sophisticated decision-making and learning.
• Evolutionary changes in signaling, such as the development of synaptic connections, allowed animals to process information faster and more efficiently.
• As organisms evolved more complex nervous systems, they also developed higher levels of cognition, including memory, learning, and problem-solving abilities.

What Is the Cognitive Lens in Biology?

• The cognitive lens refers to applying concepts from neuroscience and cognitive science to understand how organisms, including plants and animals, coordinate and process information.
• This perspective can help us understand how non-neural systems, such as bioelectric circuits in flatworms, can store memories and make decisions during regeneration, despite lacking a nervous system.
• It suggests that cognitive functions are not exclusive to brains but can emerge from different types of biological systems.

How Does Regeneration Work in the Context of Basal Cognition?

• In organisms like planarian flatworms, bioelectric circuits in their cells can “remember” past injuries and change their regenerative patterns accordingly.
• These worms can regenerate two-headed animals when cut, even if their genetics don’t normally support this, showing how bioelectrical circuits can control development and regeneration.
• This ability to “rewire” their developmental patterns based on bioelectric signals demonstrates that cognition can emerge from simple bioelectric systems.

How Is This Relevant for Regenerative Medicine?

• Understanding how cells coordinate their behavior during regeneration using bioelectrical circuits could offer new strategies for regenerative medicine.
• For example, instead of micromanaging cells with stem cells and genetic editing, we could use bioelectric signals to guide tissue regeneration in more complex organisms, including humans.
• This approach might help solve complex problems like restoring lost body parts, such as a human hand or eye, by influencing cell behavior from the bottom-up.

What Are the Key Takeaways?

• Basal cognition challenges the traditional view that cognition requires a brain, showing that many organisms without brains or neurons can still exhibit cognitive behaviors.
• Bioelectrical and chemical signals play a key role in coordinating behaviors and processing information in both simple and complex organisms.
• The evolution of nervous systems allowed for more advanced cognitive abilities, and the study of basal cognition may help us understand how these systems evolved.
• By applying a cognitive lens to different biological systems, we can gain insights into how organisms, including plants and fungi, process information and adapt to their environments.

观察到了什么？ (引言)

• 研究人员探讨了认知可能不需要大脑的存在，这挑战了传统的观点，认为所有类型的思维和解决问题都需要大脑。
• 他们观察到，即使是简单的有机体，如单细胞生物，也能在没有大脑或神经元的情况下执行类似认知的活动，如记忆、决策和学习。
• 文章提供了证据，表明在没有神经系统的有机体中也能观察到认知功能，如植物、真菌和某些单细胞生物，这表明认知存在于一个连续的谱系中。

什么是基础认知？

• 基础认知指的是在没有大脑或复杂神经系统的有机体中观察到的简单认知过程。
• 例如，一些细菌或真菌可以在没有大脑的情况下进行沟通、做决策，甚至“学习”优化行为。
• 这挑战了传统认为认知仅与神经元和复杂神经系统有关的观念。

认知没有大脑的情况下有什么关键见解？

• 像记忆、学习和解决问题这样的认知功能可以在没有神经元的有机体中看到。这些功能依赖于化学信号、电活动和复杂的分子过程。
• 即使是简单的细胞也能处理信息、做决策并根据经验适应，表明认知不需要大脑或神经系统。
• 在发育生物学和再生医学等领域的研究表明，细胞中的生物电回路可以作为“记忆”，帮助有机体再生和愈合。

电和化学信号在认知中的作用是什么？

• 电信号，如神经元中看到的信号，也出现在其他类型的细胞中，如植物和真菌，以协调复杂行为。
• 这些信号帮助细胞相互“通信”，组织成协调系统并做出影响整个有机体的决策。
• 例如，在植物中，长距离的电信号帮助它们响应环境变化，并协调地下和地上部分的生长。

神经系统的进化起源是什么？

• 研究表明，神经系统的起源是一个渐进的过程，使有机体能够更有效地处理信息并以更复杂的方式响应环境。
• 最初，有机体使用简单的化学信号进行沟通，但随着时间的推移，这演变成了现代神经系统中看到的复杂电信号通信。
• 最早的神经系统可能是简单的“神经网”，它集成了感官信息来控制运动和行为。

进化在认知发展中起到了什么作用？

• 神经系统的发展使得更复杂的行为成为可能，从简单的反射到复杂的决策和学习。
• 信号传递的进化变化，例如突触连接的形成，使动物能够更快速、更有效地处理信息。
• 随着有机体进化出更复杂的神经系统，它们也发展出了更高层次的认知能力，包括记忆、学习和解决问题的能力。

生物学中的认知透镜是什么？

• 认知透镜指的是将神经科学和认知科学中的概念应用于理解有机体，包括植物和动物，如何协调和处理信息。
• 这种视角可以帮助我们理解非神经系统如何通过生物电回路存储记忆并在再生过程中做出决策，尽管这些有机体没有神经系统。
• 它表明认知功能不仅限于大脑，而是可以从不同类型的生物系统中出现。

在基础认知的背景下再生是如何工作的？

• 在像计划虫这样的有机体中，细胞中的生物电回路可以“记住”过去的损伤并相应地改变它们的再生模式。
• 这些虫子在切割后可以再生出两颗头，尽管它们的基因组通常不支持这种情况，这展示了生物电回路如何控制发育和再生。
• 这种“重写”它们的发育模式的能力表明，认知可以从简单的生物电系统中产生。

这与再生医学有什么关系？

• 理解细胞如何通过生物电回路协调它们的行为，在再生过程中可能为再生医学提供新的策略。
• 例如，我们可以通过生物电信号来引导组织再生，而不是通过干细胞和基因编辑微观管理细胞，帮助更复杂的有机体（包括人类）进行再生。
• 这种方法可能帮助解决复杂问题，如恢复失去的身体部位，如人类手或眼。

关键结论是什么？

• 基础认知挑战了传统观点，认为认知需要大脑，表明许多没有大脑或神经元的有机体仍然能表现出认知行为。
• 生物电信号和化学信号在协调行为和处理信息方面发挥着关键作用，既适用于简单有机体，也适用于复杂有机体。
• 神经系统的进化使得更先进的认知能力成为可能，研究基础认知可以帮助我们理解这些系统是如何进化的。
• 通过将认知透镜应用于不同的生物系统，我们可以深入了解有机体，尤其是植物和真菌，如何处理信息并适应环境。