Cardiff BIO 111- Cell communication, junctions and adhesion l Study Notes (54 pages pdf)

Cell Signaling and Communication
CELL JUNCTIONS, CELL
ADHESION MOLECULES
By StudEdu

,Cell
communication

• Cell to cell communication is important for
multicellular organisms


• Multicellular organisms can be thought of
as behaving as community
• Trillions of cells that make up an
organism need to communicate with
each other so they can coordinate their
activities.


• Just as in a family or community, a
breakdown in communication can have
detrimental effects.


• Many metabolic disorders and cancers are
a result of malfunctioning among cells

, Cell communication

• Cells communicate by sending and receiving signals.

• Signals may come from the environment, or they may come from
other cells.

• Signal can be send through:

1. Contact with another cell (cell junction/cell adhesion)
2. molecules secreted into the extracellular space by another
cell

, Molecules that adhere cells


• There are four families of integral membrane
proteins that play a role in mediating cell-cell
adhesion:


1. Selectins
2. Immunoglobulin superfamily
3. Cadherins


Selectins are a family of integral membrane
glycoproteins that recognize and bind to
oligosaccharides that project from the surfaces
of other cells.