[11] Biochemical Signaling Flashcards
What is biochemical signaling?
Communication process that cells use to coordinate their actions.
What are signal molecules?
Molecules that transmit information between cells.
How are signals received by a cell?
Through the interaction with a specific receptor on its surface.
What is an example of a signal molecule?
Hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines.
What is a receptor in biochemical signaling?
A protein molecule usually found on the surface of a cell that receives chemical signals.
What is the function of intracellular receptors?
They bind to small, hydrophobic signal molecules that can pass through the plasma membrane.
What is a signal transduction pathway?
A series of steps by which a signal on a cell’s surface is converted into a specific cellular response.
What is amplification in signal transduction?
The process by which a single signal molecule can generate multiple intracellular molecules.
What is the role of second messengers in signal transduction?
They relay signals received at receptors on the cell surface to target molecules in the cytosol and/or nucleus.
What is an example of a second messenger?
cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate), IP3 (inositol trisphosphate), Ca2+.
What are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)?
A large protein family of receptors that sense molecules outside the cell and activate intracellular signal transduction pathways.
What are protein kinases?
Enzymes that modify proteins by adding a phosphate group.
What is the function of protein phosphatases?
They remove phosphate groups from proteins, often functioning to reverse the action of protein kinases.
What is a phosphorylation cascade?
A sequence of events where one enzyme phosphorylates another, causing a chain reaction leading to the phosphorylation of many proteins.
What is a ligand in biochemical signaling?
A molecule that binds to a specific site on a receptor molecule.
