Cell Theory 2.0: Bringing Night Science into the Biology Classroom

Night Science encourages creative thinking and questioning of basic assumptions in order to generate new hypotheses that can be tested through experimentation. However, it is rarely applied in biology classrooms. This study applied night science to cell theory, a foundational biology concept taught to students. Despite billions of years of cellular evolution, the cell theory contains only three major postulates. None of these postulates directly address the role of the cells, the environment, or the major gases whose atoms are present in almost every biomolecule within a cell. Furthermore, although oxygen is a metabolic substrate and a signaling molecule, biology textbooks lack precise terms to describe oxygen-based environmental signaling via gas sensors and gasoreceptors. To address this, a night science approach was applied to develop hypotheses that could supplement the three major postulates of the cell theory. Three hypotheses were proposed: the Gasocrine Hypothesis, which states that all cells require gasocrine signaling; the Circumiacentium Hypothesis, which states that all cells are limited by their environment; and the Informatio Hypothesis,which states that all cells pass information. These hypotheses can be applied to a variety of topics related to cell biology, ranging from quorum sensing to consciousness. They offer a new scientific framework through which to view these fields. By combining day science with the creative night science approach, students can learn to not only to acquire knowledge, but also to generate novel hypotheses that can be tested experimentally. Overall, the night science approach can generate new hypotheses that could potentially supplement the cell theory and advance mainstream biology. References: Jacob F. The Statue Within: An Autobiography. UHL., London 1988. Anbalagan S. Hemoglobin as an oxygen gasoreceptor. Acta BiochimPol. 2025 Anbalagan S. Gasocrine hypothesis - a potential supplement to cell theory. Acta BiochimPol. 2025 Anbalagan S. Gas-sensing riboceptors. RNA Biol. 2024