Cell Communication

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to cell communication mechanisms, including signaling molecules, receptor types, and aspects of signal transduction.

Ligand

A signaling molecule that initiates cell communication by binding to a receptor protein.

Receptor Protein

A molecule to which a ligand binds, triggering a signal transduction process.

Signal Transduction

The process by which a cell converts a signal from outside the cell into a functional response.

Hydrophilic Ligands

Signaling molecules that cannot cross the plasma membrane and bind to cell surface receptors.

Hydrophobic Ligands

Signaling molecules that are able to cross the plasma membrane and bind to intracellular receptors.

Paracrine Signaling

A form of cell signaling in which a cell releases a signal that affects nearby cells.

Endocrine Signaling

A type of signaling where hormones are released into the circulatory system to affect distant cells.

Synaptic Signaling

Communication between nerve cells through neurotransmitters that bind to receptors on target cells.

Phosphorylation

The addition of a phosphate group to a molecule, often used to activate or deactivate proteins.

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTK)

Membrane receptors that are enzymes and phosphorylate tyrosine residues on target proteins.

Mitogen-activated Protein (MAP) Kinases

A class of proteins involved in phosphorylating other proteins to trigger cellular responses.

Second Messengers

Intracellular signaling molecules produced in response to extracellular signals, such as cAMP.

G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)

A large family of receptors that activate G proteins to trigger signaling pathways.

Scaffold Proteins

Proteins that organize other proteins in a signaling pathway into a single complex for efficient signaling.

Receptor Isoforms

Different forms of the same receptor that can have diverse effects depending on the cell type.