BIO SCI E109 Chapter 6.1, 7.1-7.3: Lecture 4 Reading Notes
2 Oct 2016
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Chapter 6: cell signaling & chapter 7: the nervous system. 3 methods of cell communication: gap junctions, cell-to-cell binding, extracellular chemical messengers. Gap junctions- there are membrane proteins called connexins that form tunnels called connexons that connect neighboring cells. Communication occurs when the ions and small molecules in the cytosol of one cell diffuse into the cytosol of another cell by moving through the connexons. Found in nervous tissue and some types of smooth muscle. Allows muscle cells to contract together as a single unit. Cell to cell binding is important for development and defense. This process of communication involves the interaction of surface molecules on neighboring cells to bind. This is important during development and for leukocytes to recognize and respond to potentially dangerous foreign cells. This type of communication involves the process of a cell to secrete a chemical messenger into the ecf.
