What is signal transduction?
Q: What is signal transduction?
A: Signal transduction is a cellular mechanism that converts a stimulus into a response in the cell.
Q: What are the two stages of signal transduction?
A: The two stages of signal transduction are (1) when a signalling molecule attaches to a receptor protein on the cell membrane, and (2) when a second messenger transmits the signal into the cell, causing a change to take place in the cell.
Q: How can signals be amplified during either stage of signal transduction?
A: Signals can be amplified during either stage of signal transduction by having one signalling molecule cause many responses.
Q: Where are receptors located in cells?
A: Receptors are located in the cell membrane, with part of the receptor outside and part inside the cell.
Q: How does chemical signaling work within cells?
A: Chemical signaling works within cells by binding to receptors on the outer portion of the membrane which causes another signal inside the cell. In some cases, there may be a cascade of signals within the cell which amplifies small signals into large responses. Eventually, this creates changes in gene expression or enzyme activity within cells.
Q: How do these processes usually happen quickly?
A: These processes usually happen quickly because they may last from milliseconds (in ion flux cases) to days for gene expression.
Q: Why is it important to understand how signal transduction works?
A: It is important to understand how signal transduction works because many disease processes such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmunity and cancer arise from defects in these pathways. Additionally, understanding these systems helps coordinate behavior between individual cells so that organisms can function as whole units.
