# If you poke an amoeba does it run away?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-poke-an-amoeba-does-it-run-away/137189>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 17, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-poke-an-amoeba-does-it-run-away/137189 "2002-11-17T18:57:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ZomZom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zomzom/32/5620_2.png) [@ZomZom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZomZom)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-poke-an-amoeba-does-it-run-away/137189/1 "2002-11-17T18:57:03Z")

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Or more broadly, how do single-cell organisms react to stimuli? Do they have a survival instinct?

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-poke-an-amoeba-does-it-run-away/137189/2 "2002-11-17T19:17:08Z")

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I suppose it depends on whether you are good to eat or not.