Question

It appears to me after a brief thought, that you need multiple cells to send and coordinate messages in order to have self awareness. Basically, you need some sort of centralized brain it seems. But maybe I'm wrong there, jellyfish don't have centralized brains right? And are they considered self-aware?

What about individual cells, can a cell be considered aware of itself? If so, in what ways, if not, why not? I know the definition of awareness is probably ill-defined, but maybe you can pinpoint a definition and say why cells either are or are not in within that definition.

Any research in this line of thinking to link to?

I guess a related question is, if cells do not have self-awareness, is when/where in the evolutionary chain does self-awareness arise?

Trees and sponges (and algae mats for example) are networks of multiple cells, but do they have awareness of themselves? I don't know. So maybe only after a certain degree of centralized brain then self-awareness emerges? Like I would say any mammal is self-aware, maybe lizards and fish too? Anything with eyes, but maybe that is because they seem somewhat human.

Answer 1

Individual cells and simple organisms like jellyfish use complex mechanisms for cellular communication, essential for survival, but do not possess self-awareness as seen in more complex organisms with advanced nervous systems.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question of whether individual cells or certain simple organisms have self-awareness is indeed complex, due in part to the varying definitions and criteria of awareness. It's clear that all types of life, from single-celled organisms to complex multicellular entities like humans, have developed intricate systems for cellular communication. These mechanisms allow cells to receive and respond to various signals from their environment, facilitate coordination among cells, and in more developed life forms, support the operations of more complex nervous systems.

For instance, in multicellular scenarios, cells send and receive chemical messages to harmonize activities across different parts of the body. This form of communication, essential for life, likely evolved from simple chemical signaling used by unicellular organisms to find mates or form biofilms. Nervous systems in animals have diversified and range from simple nerve nets in jellyfish, lacking a centralized brain, to the highly specialized and centralized nervous systems found in vertebrates.

Though a jellyfish does not have a centralized brain, it does possess a primitive nerve net allowing for basic responses to environmental stimuli. Nevertheless, this should not be confused with self-awareness, which is much more complex and generally associated with organisms that have more developed brains and nervous systems. As such, an individual cell can respond to its environment but is not considered self-aware in the sense that it has a consciousness or an understanding of itself as a distinct entity.