As a result of a new study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, very interesting information about bacteria has emerged. The research revealed that the bacteria in our mouth colonize like humans. Bacteria lived in city-like structures like humans. In the research carried out to find out how only the bacteria formed microcolonies at a few points, it was learned that these colonies followed a certain form of development and dynamics. The way we develop and dynamic is similar to the way people develop and become dynamic while being a colony. Bacteria follow an urbanization-like system: Scientists conducting the research encountered the fact that the spatial and structural features of the growth of bacteria colonies were similar to those seen in urbanization in humans. These structures, formed by bacteria and having the same order as humans, are called biofilms. Just like in nature, the bacteria in our mouth live in these complex structures called biofilms. Biofilms are available wherever we can see them. However, if these structures are outside, they are addressed under a different name: Plaque. Plaques in the tooth help protect bacteria from external factors such as toothpaste. It was better understood how biofilms occurred: Biofilms are formed after microcolonies formed by the combination of several single bacteria. Although the reasons for the occurrence of these structures are certain, there is no information about exactly how they were made. However, recent research has shed light on this issue. Using oral bacteria called streptococcus mutans, researchers found that microbial cells randomly selected a location regardless of the type of soil. However, only a few of these cells begin to cluster and expand their scope by “combining neighboring bacteria with densely populated microcolonies”. Something strange happens after clusters begin to form: Clusters begin to communicate with each other, grow, and lay the foundations of biofilm by creating more densely populated “micro-scaled microcolonies that expand and merge.” Of course, this bacterial urbanization has a limit. Bacteria do not create roads and cars like humans do. But the main idea of colonization is the same for humans and bacteria.
