Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes01:26

Evolutionary Processes in Microbes

198
Microbial evolution occurs rapidly due to short generation times and a variety of genetic processes, including horizontal gene transfer, mutation, recombination, and genetic drift. These mechanisms collectively enable microbes to adapt swiftly to changing environments.Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) allows genes to move between different species and occurs through three main mechanisms: conjugation, transformation, and transduction. Conjugation involves direct cell-to-cell contact for DNA...
198
Non-equilibrium in the Cell01:16

Non-equilibrium in the Cell

3.9K
An important concept in studying metabolism and energy is that of chemical equilibrium. Most chemical reactions are reversible. They can proceed in both directions, releasing energy into their environment in one direction, and absorbing it from the environment in the other direction. The same is true for the chemical reactions involved in cell metabolism, such as the breaking down and building up of proteins into and from individual amino acids, respectively. Reactants within a closed system...
3.9K
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

106.9K
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
106.9K
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

29.9K
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
29.9K
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes01:24

Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

196
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
196
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

38.9K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
38.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pharmacokinetic Acceleration via CYP3A4 Hyperactivation as a Clinically Actionable Mechanism of Targeted Therapy Resistance in NSCLC.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Multifactorial sheltering in peristromal niches shapes in vivo responses of lung cancers to targeted therapies.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

An in-depth analysis of the molecular changes induced by short-term calorie restriction before living kidney donation.

npj aging·2026
Same author

Overcoming vascular niche-mediated TKI resistance in acute myeloid leukemia through miR-126 inhibition.

NPJ systems biology and applications·2026
Same author

Right ventricular stiffness as a key feature in the ZSF1 model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

European heart journal. Imaging methods and practice·2026
Same author

Urine Proteomics as a Source of Biological Information and Outcome Predictor in Living Kidney Transplantation.

Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP·2026
Same journal

Imbalance in amino acid and purine metabolisms at the hypothalamus in inflammation-associated depression by GC-MS.

Molecular bioSystems·2017
Same journal

Correction: Dynamic properties of dipeptidyl peptidase III from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and the structural basis for its substrate specificity - a computational study.

Molecular bioSystems·2017
Same journal

Conformational heterogeneity in tails of DNA-binding proteins is augmented by proline containing repeats.

Molecular bioSystems·2017
Same journal

Mechanism of the formation of the RecA-ssDNA nucleoprotein filament structure: a coarse-grained approach.

Molecular bioSystems·2017
Same journal

Staphylococcus aureus extracellular vesicles (EVs): surface-binding antagonists of biofilm formation.

Molecular bioSystems·2017
Same journal

Development of an AlphaLISA high throughput technique to screen for small molecule inhibitors targeting protein arginine methyltransferases.

Molecular bioSystems·2017
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

5.1K

Evolutionary game theory: cells as players.

Sabine Hummert1, Katrin Bohl, David Basanta

  • 1Fachhochschule Schmalkalden, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Blechhammer, 98574 Schmalkalden, Germany.

Molecular Biosystems
|October 2, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary game theory models biological competition and cooperation at the cellular level. It reveals how natural selection drives strategies in microscopic life, impacting metabolism, signaling, and disease dynamics.

More Related Videos

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling
20:36

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Published on: July 4, 2007

8.2K
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
15:00

Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli

Published on: August 18, 2023

5.1K
Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling
20:36

Predicting the Effectiveness of Population Replacement Strategy Using Mathematical Modeling

Published on: July 4, 2007

8.2K
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Game theory
  • Cell biology

Background:

  • Game theory traditionally assumes rational actors, but evolution and natural selection can model behavior in non-cognitive systems.
  • Evolutionary game theory offers a framework to understand interactions at the microscopic biological level.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review applications of evolutionary game theory in biology below the level of cognitive organisms.
  • To explore how evolutionary game theory models cellular-level interactions, including competition and cooperation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on evolutionary game theory applications in microscopic biological systems.
  • Application of game theory principles to model cellular processes and interactions.

Main Results:

  • Evolution and natural selection effectively replace rationality in modeling biological systems.
  • Diverse strategies are observed in microscopic life, influenced by environmental and partner-specific factors.
  • Game theory can model metabolic problems, public goods secretion, cross-feeding, cyclic competition, signaling, host-pathogen interactions, and cancer cell dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • Evolutionary game theory provides a robust framework for analyzing cellular-level biological problems.
  • Encourages scientists to utilize evolutionary game theory in cell and molecular biology research.
  • Highlights the applicability of game theory in understanding fundamental biological processes.