Week 10: Cell signaling Flashcards
why do cells signal? (3)
- survive
- grow/divide
- differentiation
why do cells need signals to survive?
without this they undergo apoptosis
- In humans with aging, its partly because neuronal cells are dying in the brain and so is their communication
- Any severance in spinal cord causes permanent paralysis because apoptosis is triggered in those neurons
why do cells need signals to grow/divie?
cell division is constantly happening all the time
- Constantly shedding cells
- When this is blocked we have many major issues in the body with bad side effects
why do we need signals for cells to differentiate?
stem cells and blood cells are constantly being generated (blood cells start out as stem and then differentiate)
4 types of cell communication?
- contact dependent
- paracrine
- neuronal
- endocrine
contact dependent signaling
exchange information with neighbors through the cells physically touching one another to pass on the signal
paracrine signaling
share information with cells in the neighborhood with limited distance
neuronal signaling
share information with cells in another organ/tissue through a physical communication over a large distance by synapsing on them
endocrine signaling
share information with cells across the body like a broadcast through the bloodstream
what acts as signals?
hormones, touch, light, odorants come from outside or inside
how do cell decode signals?
The cells have receptors which could be on the surface or the inside of the cell
- This is what receives the signal
- Results in a cellular response
features of signaling (4)
- diverse signaling molecules
- different cells respond differently
- response can be fast or slow
- receptors can be inside the cell or cell membrane
hormones
released into the bloodstream and consist of different types of signals such as immediate or over a long time to change the metabolic state of the body
types of hormone molecules?
steroids, proteins, peptides, and amino acid derivatives
catecholamines
come from amino acid derivatives
example of an immediate hormonal signal?
adrenaline (epinephrine) => increases blood pressure, heart rate, and metabolism
example of a longer time hormonal signal?
cortisol => affects metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids in most tissues
Nitric oxide
come from nerve and endothelial cells that line blood vessels
- is a dissolved gas
- causes smooth muscles to relax and regulates nerve cell activity as a local mediator
acetylcholine
comes from nerve terminals and is an excitatory neurotransmitter at nerve-muscle synapses and in the CNS
GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)
comes from nerve terminals and inhibits inhibits neurons in the CNS as a neurotransmitter
what is delta?
a transmembrane protein that makes a physical connection with another molecule to trigger the signal and inhibits neighboring cells from becoming specialized like the signaling neuron or developing cell
what is a common trend for local signaling molecules, neurotransmitters, and contact dependent signaling molecules?
they are essential for growth which stimuli the cell to grow and divide
what 3 cells does acetylcholine act on?
small protein
1. pacemaker heart cells => decreased firing
2. salivary gland cells => secretion
3. skeletal muscle cells => contraction
how does acetylcholine affect heart pacemaker cells?
when secreted it acts on the pacemaker cells of the heart to allow for contraction
- There is a receptor that binds it which decrease the rate
how does acetylcholine affect salivary gland cells?
It can bind to the receptor in the gland cell which increases secretion allowing you to digest your food
- same receptor as heart pacemaker cell
how does acetylcholine affect skeletal muscle cells?
can also bind to skeletal muscle cells and cause the cells receptor to have a different shape which triggers a different receptor ⇒ it causes the skeletal muscle cells to contract
what does context matter mean for cell signaling?
different cells respond differently to the same signal depending on receptor, intracellular signaling pathway, and history ⇒ if the same cell gets the same signal twice it may not respond the same
how does a signal change cell responses? (2)
- Change the function of existing proteins ⇒ doesn’t change the circuit but triggers a response
- Results in fast response - The signal may go into the nucleus to affect transcription which makes new proteins
- Altered protein synthesis changes what the cell is by changing its constitution (physiologically)
- This takes time because DNA ⇒ RNA ⇒ protein