A short video/transcript excerpt exploring the biological relationships between mitochondria (as former bacteria), resident bacterial cells in the body, and how these microbes communicate with human cells—especially in the context of targeting the brain via the gut. The speaker notes that bacteria (and mitochondria) can sense and respond to light and continuously send signals that influence host physiology.
Mitochondria really is a form of bacteria that has been incorporated into our eukaryote cells. In that DNA is a living organism, in a sense, that is communicating with us. Living things communicate with each other and they can send information out. And you're totally right, but the current understanding is that the mitochondria were once an independent bacteria that were engulfed into a cell in order to help with cell metabolism. But it's also interesting that we do also contain a lot of actual bacterial cells. It's very much on my mind when I'm trying to target the brain is also thinking about the gut because as you say, everything talks to everything. And bacteria also sense light and they're also messaging us all the time.
