2 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Ask Anything Wednesday - Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Medicine, Psychology
Sensory systems biologist here.
Microbes can see! At least, they can sense light and respond to it.
They almost certainly cannot distinguish single atoms, though, even if they had the means to distinguish objects in complex ways. The size of an atom is many times smaller than the wavelengths associated with visible light, so single adjacent atoms cant really scatter visible light in the way larger structures of them can.
Now, if you're asking "fine, but what would it *be like* to see like a microbe?" You may actually be asking a philosophical question[1].
1: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_It_Like_to_Be_a_Bat%3F
Comment by OpenPlex at 18/01/2024 at 05:26 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Cool! 😎
You do such testing with microbes and light? If so, any videos or results you can link to? Would love to explore more.