The movement may be positive or negative. A positive taxis is one in which the organism or a cell moves towards the source of stimulation (attraction). A negative taxis is when the organism or a cell moves away from the source of stimulation (repulsion).

In general, a learned behavior is one that an organism develops as a result of experience. Learned behaviors contrast with innate behaviors, which are genetically hardwired and can be performed without any prior experience or training. Of course, some behaviors have both learned and innate elements.

Innate behaviors, such as kinesis, taxis, and migration, are instinctual responses to external stimuli.

Taxis is a form of movement behavior that involves movement towards or away from a stimulus. This movement can be in response to light, known as phototaxis; chemical signals, known as chemotaxis; or gravity, known as geotaxis—among other stimuli.

By energy taxis, bacteria can couple their behavior directly to their metabolism and conditions in their surroundings. Because it provides the cells with a simple versatile sensory and adaptation system, energy taxis is likely to be widespread in the microbial world.

taxis is (biology) the directional movement of an organism in response to a stimulus while tropism is (biology) the turning of an organism in response to a stimulus, either towards or away from the stimulus.

stimulus-response reactions …from the stimulus is called taxis. In larger and more complicated organisms—those in which response involves the synchronization and integration of events in different parts of the body—a control mechanism, or controller, is located between the stimulus and the response.

A tropism (from Greek τρόπος, tropos, “a turning”) is a biological phenomenon, indicating growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Tropisms are typically associated with plants (although not necessarily restricted to them).

(Entry 1 of 2) 1 : reflex translational or orientational movement by a freely motile and usually simple organism in relation to a source of stimulation (such as a light or a temperature or chemical gradient) 2 : a reflex reaction involving a taxis.

The movement may be positive or negative. A positive taxis is one in which the organism or a cell moves towards the source of stimulation (attraction). A negative phototaxis is one in which the organism moves away from the light source as demonstrated by certain insects such as cockroaches.

positive phototaxis The directed movement of a cell or organism towards a source of light.

Phototaxis (phototactic response) is the cellular behavior in which cells swim toward or away from the light source (positive or negative phototaxis, respectively) (Fig. 12.3).

Many cyanobacteria exhibit phototaxis, both towards and away from a light source. In the environment, the ability to move into optimal light conditions for photosynthesis is likely to be an advantage.

The control system in placozoans. Placozoan adaptive responses to detecting food, light, and chemicals (arrest of movement and external digestion, phototaxis, and chemotaxis) imply perception of the external and internal environments and require coordination of the activity of numerous cells.

Chemotaxis (from chemo- + taxis) is the movement of an organism in response to a chemical stimulus. Positive chemotaxis occurs if the movement is toward a higher concentration of the chemical in question; negative chemotaxis if the movement is in the opposite direction.

Chemotaxis is movement toward high or low chemical concentrations, phototaxis is movement toward light, and geotaxis is movement in response to gravity.