Cellular Signalling Research Paper

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CELL SIGNALLING Cellular Signalling is a significant system that allows our bodies to work and respond to the environment in a coordinated and organised manner. It is the way in which our cells communicate between themselves and their environment, and is required for a number of processes vital for development, growth and survival. These include mediating a response to an external stimuli, cell division, as well as cell differentiation and specialisation. It is the way in which some of our biological systems function, including the nervous system, endocrine system and immune systems . How does it work? The basic concept in which cells communicate with each other is through a ‘signal’. These signals are molecules; they can include hormones, …show more content…

The CheA is phosphorylated instead, this means it is inactive and cannot activate cheY. When this inactive form of cheY interacts with the flagella it causes a clockwise turn, which induces a ‘tumble’. This tumble is a disruption in the bacterium’s travel and may cause it to stop so that it can find another direction; away from the repellent source, which ensures the organisms safety. Chemo taxis is also observed in the movement of lymphocytes in some stages of development in multicellular organisms, as well as the movement of sperm during the fertilisation process . What happens if signals aren’t received? So far we have seen that living organisms depend on efficient signalling that will induce the precise response to an external stimulus; each step of the signalling pathway must be accurate. However there are situations where the signalling pathway for a specific response is faulty and at times does not function at all. This is the basic cause of many common diseases, together with: cancer, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Some of the things that can go wrong in the signalling pathway of these diseases are: • The signal does not reach the target • There is a very high or low level of signalling • The target cell ignores the signal and does not respond to …show more content…

Insulin is the hormone that regulates the level of glucose in the blood by causing the liver and muscle cells to uptake the sugar for storage as glycogen. The insulin binds to the receptors of these cells and follows the pathway as shown in the diagram: 1. The insulin binds to the receptor on the surface of the cell. 2. This triggers the activity of the Tyrosine kinase, which causes the phosphorylation of the enzymes MAP kinase and PI-3K. 3. The PI-3K is important in then distributing the glucose that has diffused in through the channel. 4. It also binds to the GLUT-4 vesicle that carries that glucose and isolates the glucose from the vesicle. The PI-3K enzyme carries the glucose to the mitochondria make ATP, while the excess glucose is stored as glycogen . In type 1 diabetes, the cells that secrete the insulin hormone are destroyed, and this signalling pathway cannot take place as the signalling molecule, insulin, is lost. In type II diabetes, the insulin is present, however the cells do not respond to this signal, and the signalling pathway is not complete, therefore the sugar cannot be

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