Cell Signaling: Communication and Transduction

What is one of the main reasons cells communicate with each other?

Which type of signaling involves the release of signaling molecules into the bloodstream?

What is necessary for a cell to be considered a target cell?

In which type of signaling do signaling and receptor molecules remain part of the cell surface?

What happens when a cell signal binds to a receptor of a receiving cell?

What is the term for communicating junctions that allow direct cell-to-cell communication?

Which type of signaling involves the release of signaling molecules that act only on local cells?

What is the term for signaling molecules released by the same type of cell having the receptor?

Why is juxtacrine signaling important in embryonic life and development?

What is the primary function of the G-protein in G-Protein coupled receptors?

What is the outcome of hydrophobic transduction molecules binding to intracellular receptors?

What is the name of the contact areas through which neurotransmitters act on adjacent cells?

What is the primary function of the cell membrane?

What type of receptors are controlled by ligands that bind to receptors?

What is an example of a hydrophobic transduction molecule?

What is the term for the process of hydrophobic molecules passing through the phospholipid bilayer?

What is the role of the cell membrane in cellular processes?

What is the alternative name for the cell membrane?

Cells communicate with each other to regulate their development into tissues, control their growth and division, and coordinate their functions.
Cell signaling occurs through communicating junctions (gap junctions, nexus) and signaling molecules.

Endocrine signaling: Endocrine molecules released by endocrine cells bind to receptors in receiving cells via the bloodstream.
Paracrine signaling: Chemical mediators are rapidly metabolized, acting only on local cells close to the source.
Juxtacrine signaling: Signaling and receptor molecules remain on the cell surface, requiring direct physical contact between cells, important in embryonic life and development.
Autocrine signaling: Signaling molecules are released by the same cell type, having the receptor, but not necessarily the same cell.
Synaptic signaling (neuronal): A special type of paracrine interaction, where neurotransmitters act only on adjacent cells through synapses.

Channel-linked receptors: Controlled by ligands that bind to receptors, opening or closing channels.
Enzymatic receptors: Control enzymes by turning them on or off when the ligand binds to the receptor.
G-Protein coupled receptors: The most common type, where G-protein attaches to a receptor bound with a ligand, then activates an effector protein.

Hydrophobic molecules: Can easily pass through the phospholipid bilayer, including estrogen and progesterone.
These molecules bind to intracellular receptors, activating mechanisms and cascades in the cell, demonstrating a function of the cell membrane: communication.

The cell membrane separates the interior of all cells from the extracellular space, protecting the cell from its environment.
Cell membranes are involved in various cellular processes, including cell adhesion, ion conductivity, and cell signaling.
They serve as the attachment surface for several extracellular structures.