2.9 Cell Signaling Flashcards
What are the four reasons we need cell signalling?
- Process sensory stimuli
- Self preservation (e.g. spinal reflexes)
- Voluntary movement
- Homeostasis (e.g. thermoregulation, glucose homeostasis)
What is meant by self-preservation?
The activation of the reflex arc to protect ourself from danger
What are the two systems which provide the main lines of communication?
Nerve fibers of the central and peripheral nervous system
Blood vessels of the cardiovascular system
What line of communication is used for a rapid, instantaneous response?
The nerve fibres of the CNS and PNS
What line of communication is slower and more versatile?
The blood vessel system
What is meant by intercellular signalling?
Signalling between cells
What is meant by intracellular signalling?
Signalling within a cell
What are the four methods of signalling?
- Autocrine
- Endocrine
- Paracrine
- Communication between membrane attached proteins
What is meant by endocrine communication?
When the hormone travels in the blood vessel and acts on a distant target cell
How does glucagon act as an example of endocrine signalling?
Glucagon is released by the alpha cells of the Islets of Langerhans, and then transported in the blood to act on the liver
This stimulates gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis
How does insulin provide an example of endocrine communication?
Insulin produced by the pancreas acts on muscle and adipose tissue
How does adrenaline provide an example of endocrine communication?
Produced by the adrenal glands and travels in the blood to act on many body systems like the lungs and trachea
What type of communication is shown in response to hypoglycaemia?
Endocrine
What types of communication is shown in response to hyperglycemia and why?
Paracrine – beta cells release insulin which inhibits glucagon secretion from adjacent alpha cells
Endocrine – reduces glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis in liver
What is meant by paracrine communication?
When the hormone that is released acts on the adjacent cell
How does the pancreas show paracrine communication?
Insulin produced by the beta cells acts on the adjacent alpha cells inhibit glucagon production
Describe how nitric oxide acts in a paracrine manner
Nitric oxide is produced by endothelial cells in blood vessels and causes vasodilation
Describe how osteoclast activating factors work in a paracrine manner
They are produced by adjacent osteoblasts
What is meant by membrane attached protein comunication?
When plasma proteins in the membrane of two different cells interact
Describe an immunological example of membrane-attached protein communication
APC detects a bloodborne virus
APC digests the pathogen and expresses MHC II on surface
Circulating T cell interacts with MHC II via T cell receptors
Give 2 other examples of signalling between membrane attached proteins
HIV GP120 glycoprotein binds to CD4 receptors on T lymphocytes
Bacterial cell wall components bind toll-like receptors on haematopoietic cells
What is meant by autocrine communicaiton?
When a hormone acts on the same cell that produced it
How do T cells display autocrine forms of communication?
When T cells become activated they express IL-2 receptors and also release IL-2 which mediates cytokine release and binds to the receptor on the same cell
How does ACh display autocrine signalling?
ACh binds to presynaptic M2 muscarinic receptors
How do growth factors show autocrine communication?
Growth factors from tumour cells can bind to and act on tumour cells to cause mitogenesis
Describe how neurotransmission occurs?
- Acton potential arrives at the synapse due to an influx of sodium ions into the pre-synaptic bouton
- This triggers the opening of voltage gated calcium channels, allowing an influx of Ca2+ into the neurone
- Ca2+ binds to vesicles containing NT
- The NT vesicles then move to the cell membrane and are released into the synapse through exocytosis
- They then bind to receptors on the post-synaptic neurone