Types of Cell Signaling
Cell signalling is divided into five categories based on the distance the signals must travel and the final closeness of the cells transmitting and receiving the signals.
Intracrine signals are employed by a single cell to coordinate and regulate the multiple metabolic events that are occurring at any given time.
Although autocrine signals are produced by a cell, they are nonetheless designed to act on the cell. Outside the target cell, these impulses may travel short distances and impact other cells. Autocrine signals are often secreted by immune cells.
Juxtacrine signals are transmitted by a cell that is physically contacting another cell. These signals are often delivered by the same proteins and chemicals that keep the cells together, ensuring that a connected tissue produces a cohesive response.
Paracrine impulses are sent from one cell to another in close proximity. The nerve cells are an excellent example of paracrine signalling. When a neurological signal is sent from one cell to another, the sending cell releases neurotransmitter molecules that function as a signal to the receiving cell to commence and transmit the signal. These signals go just a short distance.
Endocrine signals are routinely conveyed across great distances by hormone-secreting tissues in your body. Hormones may travel through the bloodstream and impact a variety of cell types throughout the body, resulting in a coordinated reaction.
Within a single cell, the accompanying graphic depicts a vast range of cell signalling pathways and the many metabolic events they drive.
Stages of Cell Signaling
The types and types of receptors and signalling molecules employed in cell signalling might vary. In all modes of cell signalling, however, the same pattern develops.
The cell must first be exposed to an environment or circumstance that prompts it to emit a signal. This might include temperature, other signal molecules present, or even blood sugar levels. The cell must then generate the signal. When a cell is activated, certain signal molecules are actively created, while others (such as neurotransmitters) are stored and ready to be released.
When the cell gets this signal, a series of processes occur that cause the signal molecule to be released. Some signal molecules remain inside a cell, while others move to other cells in search of target proteins. These receptors bind to the signal molecule and then transmit the information. This process involves the protein attaching to the signal molecule, altering its form, and thereby triggering a cell process. For example, when neurotransmitters attach to receptors on the surface of nerve cells, these proteins generate an influx of ions. As a result, an electrical impulse is generated, which travels the length of the cell and is the foundation for nerve cell signal transmission.
The ultimate phase in every cell’s signalling process is for the whole system to return to its “normal” state. The signal molecule will dissociate from the receptor protein, halting the signal’s transmission into the cell and allowing the cellular machinery to prepare for the next signal.
