Galvanotactic

/ɡælvənəˈtæktɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or exhibiting galvanotaxis; describing the movement or orientation of organisms in response to electrical current.

Etymology

From galvano- (galvanism) + tactic (from Greek taxis, arrangement/movement). Emerged in biology as researchers noticed organisms respond to electrical fields.

Kelly Says

Galvanotactic behavior is genuinely weird—some bacteria, sperm cells, and other organisms literally sense electrical fields and swim toward or away from them, which suggests electricity is almost like a chemical smell to them.

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