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Cell Communication
The process by which cells can communicate with each other via various methods including direct contact, local signaling, and long distance signaling.
Direct Contact
Gap Junctions, and Plasmodesmata
Plasmodesmata
Channels that connect plant cells, allowing for direct communication and transport of substances.
Gap Junctions
Specialized intercellular connections in animal cells that allow direct communication between neighboring cells.
Local Signaling
Paracrine, Synaptic
Paracrine signaling
A form of local signaling where the target cell is close to the signal-releasing cell.
Synaptic signaling
A type of local signaling that occurs in the nervous system, involving neurotransmitters at synapses.
Long Distance
Endocrine
Endocrine system
A system of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream for long-distance signaling.
Ligand
A molecule that binds to a receptor to initiate cellular signaling.
Transduction
The process by which a signal is converted into a cellular response. Extracellular to Intracelllular
Cyclic AMP
A second messenger molecule that amplifies signals and activates multiple proteins within a cell.
GPCR (G Protein-Coupled Receptor)
A large family of receptors that detect molecules outside the cell and activate internal signal transduction pathways.
Ion Channels
Proteins that form pores in the cell membrane, allowing ions to flow in and out of cells, often activated by ligands.
Negative Feedback
A regulatory mechanism in which a change in a variable triggers a response that counteracts the initial change to maintain homeostasis.
Positive Feedback
A regulatory process in which an increase in a variable triggers further increases, pushing systems further away from their set point.
Cell Cycle
The series of phases that a cell goes through leading to its division and replication, including G1, S, G2, and mitosis.
Apoptosis
Programmed cell death that occurs in the body as a natural part of growth and development.
Cyclins
Regulatory proteins that control the progression of the cell cycle by activating cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs).
Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)
Enzymes that, when activated by cyclins, progress the cell cycle and regulate various functions.
Checkpoints in the Cell Cycle
Regulatory points in the cell cycle that ensure proper division and prevent errors.