chemotaxis

(noun)

the movement of a cell or an organism in response to a chemical stimulant

Related Terms

Examples of chemotaxis in the following topics:

  • Movement and Migration

    • This movement can be in response to light (phototaxis), chemical signals (chemotaxis), or gravity (geotaxis).
    • An example of a positive chemotaxis is exhibited by the unicellular protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila.

  • Cell Migration in Multicellular Organisms

    • The amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is useful to researchers because they consistently exhibit chemotaxis in response to cyclic AMP; they move more quickly than cultured mammalian cells; and they have a haploid genome that simplifies the process of connecting a particular gene product with its effect on cellular behavior.

  • Properties of Life

    • Even tiny bacteria can move toward or away from chemicals (a process called chemotaxis) or light (phototaxis).