chapter six cell communication

No description yet. This curated deck is ready for daily study.

Total cards: 24•Content version: v4•Public deck•Updated: 8/1/2026

Card preview (24)

Front (Question)

methods of cell-to-cell communication

Back (Answer)

gap junctions, contact-dependent signals, cells release messengers to ECF

Front (Question)

gap junctions

Back (Answer)

direct cytoplasmic transfer between adjacent cells, transfer chemical & electrical signals, made of proteins called connexins

Front (Question)

contact-dependent signals

Back (Answer)

surface to surface contact between membranes, require interaction between membrane molecules on two cells, relates to cancer cells

Front (Question)

how do cells release messengers to the extracellular fluid?

Back (Answer)

long-distance communication (hormones, neurohormones, neurotransmitters), local communication (paracrine & autocrine)

Front (Question)

what are the constraints for gap junctions & contact-dependent signals?

Back (Answer)

distance & small area of communication

Front (Question)

how do channels and gap junctions differ?

Back (Answer)

channel connects ICF & ECF (cross one membrane), gap junction connects ICF to ICF (cross two membranes)

Front (Question)

cellular messengers

Back (Answer)

long-distance communication & local communication

Front (Question)

3 categories of long-distance communication

Back (Answer)

hormones, neurotransmitters, neurohormone

Front (Question)

2 categories of local communication

Back (Answer)

paracrine agent & autocrine agent

#10

Front (Question)

hormones as cellular messenger

Back (Answer)

released from tissue & travels to target cell through blood

#11

Front (Question)

neurotransmitters as cellular messenger

Back (Answer)

released from neurons to adjacent effector (neuron can be measured in feet, message goes long-distance despite being delivered right next door)

#12

Front (Question)

neurohormones as cellular messenger

Back (Answer)

released from neuron & travels to target cell through blood

#13

Front (Question)

paracrine agent

Back (Answer)

released into interstitial fluid and affects neighboring target cell

#14

Front (Question)

autocrine agent

Back (Answer)

released into interstitial fluid and affects the cell that released it

#15

Front (Question)

hormones

Back (Answer)

secreted by endocrine glands or cells into blood. only target cells with receptors for the hormone will respond to the signal

#16

Front (Question)

neurotransmitters

Back (Answer)

chemicals secreted by neurons that diffuse across a small gap to the target cell. neurons use electrical signals as well

#17

Front (Question)

neurohormones

Back (Answer)

chemicals released by neurons into blood for action at distant targets

#18

Front (Question)

autocrine signals…

Back (Answer)

act on the same cell that secreted them

#19

Front (Question)

paracrine signals…

Back (Answer)

are secreted by one cell & diffuse to adjacent cells

#20

Front (Question)

long-distance communication

Back (Answer)

anytime we have the capability of sending it from one part of the body to a different part of the body

#21

Front (Question)

receptors

Back (Answer)

protein associated with the membrane or cellular interior which will bind a chemical messenger and exert an effector

#22

Front (Question)

what are the 5 characteristics of receptors?

Back (Answer)

highly specific (specificity), high affinity for specific messenger, they can be saturated or blocked, can undergo down-regulation & up-regulation

#23

Front (Question)

what influences affinity?

Back (Answer)

type & number of bonds

#24

Front (Question)

down-regulation

Back (Answer)

decrease in receptor number in response to chronic elevated levels of messenger