Cell Signalling

• Cell signalling is how cells detect and respond to stimuli, it involves ligands, that are specific chemicals
• Process:

  1. Ligands secreted from cells
  2. Ligands transported via bloodstream to target cells
  3. Ligand bind to cell surface receptors that are specific and complementary in shape to ligand on target cells
  4. The shape of the receptor changes when ligand binds, signal passed into the cell (transduction)
  5. The message carried by the ligand is relayed through a chain of chemical messengers inside the cell, triggering a response