BSC-2010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: G Protein–Coupled Receptor, Paracrine Signalling, Cell Membrane
20 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Cells can signal to each other an interpret the signals they receive from other cells and the environment. Cells in a multicellular organism communicate via signaling molecules. In local signaling, animal cells may communicate by direct contact. In many other cases, animal cells communicate using secreted messenger molecules that travel only short distances. This type of local signaling in animals is called paracrine signaling. Synaptic signaling occurs in the animal nervous system when a neurotransmitter is released in response to an electric signal. In long distance signaling, plants and animals use chemicals called hormones. Earl w. sutherland discovered how the hormone epinephrine acts on cells. Sutherland suggested that cells receiving signals went through three processes: reception, transduction, response. Most water soluble signal molecules bind to specific on receptor proteins that span the plasma membrane. Intracellular receptor proteins are found in the cytoplasm or nucleus of target cells.
