Cell Signalling Flashcards
Why do cells communicate?
Essential for survival
What are examples of cell communication?
- Blood glucose
- Infection
- Wounding
- Time to contract
- Time to divide
- Time to die
What are different types of signals?
- Ligand
- Hormone
- Neurotransmitter
- Cytokine
- Chemokine
What is a signal?
A molecule a cell will respond to once bound to a receptor
What may happen if the signal doesn’t work or reach the receptor?
Can cause pathology disease like diabetes, cancer, inflammation, immunodeficiency etc
How can cell signalling be regulated?
by different for of spatial dimensions
What are the 5 different spatial dimension?
- Direct
- Paracrine
- Endocrine
- Synaptic
- Autocrine
What is a direct way of cell signalling?
Direct between two cell membranes with gap junctions
What is paracrine way of cell signalling?
Signalling molecule is released by an adjacent cell
What is synaptic way of cell signalling?
Neurons release a neurotransmitter across synaptic cleft to postsynaptic membrane
What is an endocrine way of cell signalling?
Hormonal signalling where a hormone is recreated into blood stream to travel to target cell
What is an autocrine way of cell signalling?
Very close signalling where the cell releases the signal/hormone and then acts on itself
What are the four classes of receptors?
- Steriod
- G-protein couples
- Ligand-gated ion channels
- Enzyme linked
What are the two types of response from receptors if bound with?
- Change in protein production
- Change in protein activity
What happens when change in protein production?
Turn genes on or off
What happens when change in protein activity?
Turn enzyme on of off, reorganise the cytoskeleton
What is signal transduction?
Steps which happens when a receptor receives a signal causing a change
What do steroid receptors activate?
Genes directly
Where are testosterone receptors found?
In the cytoplasm
How many in 20 code for GPCRs?
1 in 20
What is the percentage of GPCRs in pharmaceutical?
40%
Order these 4 different stages in the correct order: Transduction Response Receptor Signal
Signal - Receptor - Transduction - Response
What is the timescale of a ligand-gated ion channel?
Milliseconds
What is the time scale of a GPCR?
Seconds
What is the time scale of enzyme linked receptors?
Hours
What is the time scale of steroid receptors?
Hours
