Biochem 2 - cell signalling pathways

Question 1

How do cells communicate with each other?

Answer 1

through electrical and chemical signals

Question 2

What kind of singalling is the major firm of information transfer between cells?

Answer 2

chemical signalling

Question 3

Basically, how does chemical signalling work?

Answer 3

• one cell releases a chemical stimulus (e.g. hormone, growth factor), which then alters the activity of target cells
• target cell has receptors capable of detecting the incoming signal and transferring the information to the appropriate internal cell signalling pathway to bring about a change in cellular activity

Question 4

Where can signals or stimuli come from?

Answer 4

the environment or other cells

Question 5

How do signals cross the cell membrane?

Answer 5

sometimes the signal itself can cross the membrane, other times the signal works by interacting with receptor proteins that contact both the outside and inside of the cell

Question 6

How do signals most often move through a cell?

Answer 6

by passing from protein to protein, each protein modifying the next in some way

Question 7

What makes up a signalling pathway?

Answer 7

the proteins that relay a signal to its destination

Question 8

What are signalling molecules?

Answer 8

activators of cellular responses, primary messengers, or cell stimuli

Question 9

What are some examples of signalling molecules?

Answer 9

• growth factors
• hormones
• extracellular matrix molecules
• drugs
• chemicals

Question 10

What are the4 common classes of transmembrane receptors which can receive water-soluble stimuli?

Answer 10

• ligand-gated ion channels
• G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR)
• enzyme-linked receptors
• intracellular receptors