Nervores

Nervores are a fictional or speculative biological concept used in speculative biology and science fiction to describe organisms whose bodies are organized around an extensive nervous system that both senses and interacts with the environment. The term is commonly employed to explore how neuronal organization at different scales could influence physiology, locomotion, and cognition in non-human life.

In imagined taxonomies, nervores may be described as free-living or as symbiotic enmeshments with larger hosts. They often possess a continuous nerve-rich matrix rather than a rigid skeleton, with sensory branches reaching into surrounding space or into host tissues. Their metabolism is typically tied to electrochemical gradients and ambient electrical energy, allowing rapid signal transmission and coordinated movement across a flexible body plan. Some depictions emphasize a decentralized intelligence, with multiple neural clusters that can operate autonomously yet synchronize during complex tasks.

Reproduction and life cycles in nervous-based concepts vary. Some nervores reproduce through fragmentation or budding of the neural mesh, while others produce specialized propagules that carry elements of their nervous architecture to seed new individuals. Environmental niches range from hydrothermal or tidal zones rich in minerals and ions to intimate associations with larger animals, where the nervous network may extend beyond the primary organism.

In literature and media, nervores serve as thought experiments about neural complexity, brain-body integration, and bioelectronic interfaces. They function as a device to discuss topics such as cognition without centralized brains, neural networking, and the boundaries between organism and environment. See also speculative biology, bioelectric signaling, and neural networks in fiction.