Quorum Sensing

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Quorum Sensing

Some social insects live in large groups and need to work together to decide on actions that will affect the entire group. Some groups of insects that have no central leader to help them decide have developed a different way of determining what actions the group should take, through an approach called quorum sensing. In quorum sensing, a few individuals explore different possibilities, and if one option seems particularly attractive, they find other group members to show that option to. Once a sufficiently large number-or a quorum-of insects is committed to one particular option, then the rest of the group will sense what the majority wants and follow.