Ch. 11: Cell Communication - Review

Important Vocabulary:

Quorum sensing, local vs long-distance signaling, paracrine signaling, hormonal (endocrine) signaling, ligands, and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)

Review Questions:

1. What is cell signaling, and why is it important?

2. How do bacterial cells communicate using quorum sensing?

   1. How does quorum sensing contribute to the formation of biofilms?

   2. How might scientists use quorum sensing to develop alternative treatments to antibiotics?

3. What are the two main types of local signaling, and how do they work?

4. How do cell junctions allow direct communication between adjacent cells?

5. What is paracrine signaling, and how does it differ from synaptic signaling?

   1. What role do neurotransmitters play in synaptic signaling?

6. How does hormonal (endocrine) signaling allow communication over long distances?

7. What determines whether a cell will respond to a signaling molecule?

8. What are the three main stages of cell signaling?

9. What happens during signal reception?

10. What is a ligand, and how does it interact with a receptor?

11. What are the three major types of membrane receptors?

    1. How do G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) work?

    2. How do ligand-gated ion channels work?

12. Where are intracellular receptors found?

13. What types of molecules can pass through the plasma membrane and bind to intracellular receptors?

14. How do steroid and thyroid hormones activate intracellular receptors?