BLG 411 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Endocrine System, Signal Transduction, Transmembrane Protein
Document Summary
Mechanisms of cell communication part a cell biology study notes: A human body has around 50 trillion cells, and all these cells have to communicate with each other in some way for the body to function properly. Cells can sense their environment because cells can read input signals in the environment. Input signals include: growth hormones/factor, bacterial molecules (infections), reduced. O2 concentration level (hypoxia) etc: hypoxia is caused by reduced oxygen concentration levels, hypoxia triggers cancer to form tumours. Input detection leads to signal transduction followed by processing of algorithm/pathway. Signal transduction- when an outside message is converted into an inside message. The output results in improved survivability: the cell should be able to survive better. Apoptosis is a response of cell signalling. Better rate of apoptosis can be beneficial in the organism as a whole (not for each individual cell) Why do cells need to communicate: development.