  Collective oscillation of cells in a population has been reported under
diverse biological contexts and with vastly different molecular constructs.
Could there be common principles similar to those that govern spontaneous
oscillation in mechanical or electrical systems? Here, we answer this question
in the affirmative by categorising the response of individual cells against a
time-varying signal. A positive intracellular signal relay of sufficient gain
from participating cells is required to sustain the oscillations, together with
phase matching. The two conditions yield quantitative predictions for the onset
cell density and frequency in terms of measured single-cell and signal response
functions. Through mathematical constructions, we show that cells that adapt to
a constant stimulus fulfil the phase requirement by developing a leading phase
in an "active" frequency window that enables cell-to-signal energy flow.
Analysis of dynamical quorum sensing in several cellular systems with
increasing biological complexity reaffirms the pivotal role of adaptation in
powering oscillations in an otherwise dissipative cell-to-cell communication
channel. The physical conditions identified can be used to design synthetic
oscillatory systems
