Image Recognition
Distinguishing potentially harmful pathogens from benign microorganisms is one of the primary functions of the innate immune system in all animals. Thus, the innate immune system can intercept signals produced by bacteria in order to identify bacteria that have grown to dangerous levels and are poised to cause disease,” said Pukkila-Worley. Since C. elegans have 274 nuclear hormone receptors, it’s possible that the nematode genome contains dozens of these metabolite recognition systems. Nuclear hormone receptors are also found in most animals, including humans, suggesting that similar metabolite detection systems might exist in other organisms. “It’s remarkable that C. elegans evolved mechanisms to differentiate good and bad bacteria even without canonical receptors for pathogen detection.