Insulin, Glucagon, and Epinephrine Signaling

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to hormone signaling pathways, specifically insulin, glucagon, and epinephrine.

Insulin Receptor

A membrane-bound receptor that binds insulin and triggers autophosphorylation and signaling cascades.

G Protein Coupled Receptors

Receptors that detect various signaling molecules and activate intracellular signaling pathways via G proteins.

Dimerization

The process by which two receptor units join together upon ligand binding to initiate signal transduction.

Cyclic AMP (cAMP)

A second messenger generated by adenylyl cyclase that mediates various physiological responses.

Phosphodiesterase

An enzyme that degrades cyclic AMP, thus terminating the signaling pathway mediated by cAMP.

Phospholipase C (PLC)

An enzyme that cleaves PIP2 to produce inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG), leading to further signaling.

Protein Kinase A (PKA)

An enzyme activated by cyclic AMP that phosphorylates various target proteins to elicit cellular responses.

Inositol Triphosphate (IP3)

A second messenger that promotes calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum.

Diacylglycerol (DAG)

A second messenger that activates protein kinase C, leading to additional signaling cascades.

MAP Kinase Cascade

A signaling pathway activated by the insulin receptor that results in diverse cellular responses including gene expression.