EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
signal transduction pathway - answer- the process by which a signal on a cell's
surface is converted into a specific cellular response
biofilm - answer- A microbial community that usually forms as a slimy layer on a
surface
local regulators - answer- Messenger molecules secreted by the signaling cell which
only travel short distance and influence cells in the local vicinity
growth factor - answer- one of a group of external regulatory proteins that stimulate
the growth and division of cells
paracrine signaling - answer- a type of local signaling where the target cell is close to
the signal-releasing cell
synaptic signaling - answer- a type of local signaling specific to neurotransmitters in
nerve cells
hormones - answer- chemical messengers, mostly those manufactured by the
endocrine glands, that are produced in one tissue and affect another
long-distance signaling - answer- cell is secreting a hormone and the hormone must
travel through the blood stream to reach its target place.
3 stages of cell signaling - answer- 1. reception
2. transduction
3. response
Earl Sutherland - answer- 1971 Nobel Prize (In Med): discovered cAMP as a second
messenger while studying effects of epinephrine on phosphorylase.
reception - answer- the target cell's detection of a signal molecule coming from
outside the cell
transduction - answer- in cellular communication, the conversion of a signal from
outside the cell to a form that can bring about a specific cellular response
signal transduction pathway - answer- A series of steps linking a mechanical or
chemical stimulus to a specific cellular response.
relay molecule - answer- molecule in a signal transduction pathway
response - answer- In cellular communication, the change in a specific cellular
activity brought about by a transduced signal from outside the cell.