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4.4 Changes in Signal Transduction Pathways

3 min readjanuary 4, 2023

Annika Tekumulla

Annika Tekumulla

Haseung Jun

Haseung Jun

Annika Tekumulla

Annika Tekumulla

Haseung Jun

Haseung Jun

Cellular Processes

Changes to any structure in the cell cycle can affect the . As we talked about earlier, the has the ability to alter . Specifically, mutations can to detrimental effects on later responses. 

Mutations

Mutations have the ability to greatly impact the cell cycle. It can disturb the production of , which could be crucial to the cell's survival. Or, for example, mutations in the can prevent the cell from regulating its cell cycle. When the cell cycle is unregulated, it can result in unrestricted cell division that could to harmful conditions like cancer. 

Let's look at an example. is a type of that tells the liver to store glucose as and reduce the level of sugar in the bloodstream. It travels through the blood stream, and it binds to a on the surface of a . Accordingly, the activates a sequence to link the together into a long chain, making . Then, the is decreased. However, when mutations happen with creating the , recepting the or activating a response. This might be because the was deleted, missing or damaged. comes from the inability to create . This type of mutation causes patients to be unable to regulate their .

, on the other hand, comes from the inability to recognize . This means that the is unable to recognize what the is trying to say, thus unable to follow through with a response and store glucose. This may be due to a mutation with the when it was being made.

We will go over more effects that mutations can have on cells in section 4.7 Regulation of Cell Cycle.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-qB4UWLL7bS2Z.webp?alt=media&token=0b314e8e-97dc-49e2-b8ca-190e9ba1393f

Image courtesy of Giphy.

Chemicals

Along with mutations, have the ability to alter the . These can either activate or hamper the pathway’s response. For example, such as , polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and have the ability to have with specific signal transduction pathways.

Things like temperature, and pH can cause disruptions too. Remember ? The same applies here. Without , the is a complete failure. If the , therefore, are damaged or denatured in any way shape or form, the could be significantly altered. Like the example, the receptor might not recognize a , or maybe a cell won't be able to produce a . This can cause the cell to fail to response more effectively.

Lastly we have . These can block the sites of the , so the can't bind. This will, again, cause great disruptions to the signal transduction pathways. This is actually how most medications are made. They usually take place of a so that a specific part of the body functions are not being processed.

Key Terms to Review (22)

Blood Sugar Level

: The concentration of glucose present in the blood. It is usually measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Cellular Processes

: Cellular processes are the biochemical mechanisms that occur within living cells to maintain life, such as cell division, protein synthesis, and energy production.

Chemicals

: Substances produced by different processes involving changes at molecular level. They have specific properties and play crucial roles in biological processes.

Denatured Proteins

: Denatured proteins have lost their native shape and biological function due to stress factors like heat, pH changes, or chemicals.

DNA

: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a molecule that carries most of the genetic instructions used in development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms.

Ethanol

: Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a type of alcohol produced by yeast during fermentation. It's found in alcoholic beverages and used as a biofuel.

Glucose Molecules

: Glucose molecules are simple sugars that serve as primary energy sources for living organisms. They can be broken down during cellular respiration to provide energy for cells.

Glycogen

: Glycogen is a polysaccharide that serves as the primary form of energy storage in animals and fungi. It's similar to starch but has more extensive branching.

Inhibitors

: Inhibitors are substances that reduce the activity of enzymes, slowing down or even stopping certain reactions in the body.

Insulin

: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. It allows cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream and use it as energy.

Lead

: Lead is a heavy metal that is naturally occurring in the earth's crust. It is toxic to humans and animals when ingested or inhaled, causing damage to the nervous system and other organs.

Ligand

: A ligand is a molecule that binds to another (usually larger) molecule. In cell communication, it's often the signal molecule that binds to a receptor.

Liver Cell

: Liver cells, also known as hepatocytes, are responsible for protein synthesis, detoxification and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion among other functions.

Neurotoxic Effects

: Neurotoxic effects refer to the damage or disruption of the structure and function of neurons, which are the nerve cells in our brain and nervous system, due to exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

: PCBs are man-made organic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine atoms. They were used in numerous industrial applications but were banned due to their environmental persistence and potential health risks.

Proteins

: Large biomolecules consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms.

Receptor Protein

: A receptor protein is a molecule found on the surface of cells that binds to specific substances, triggering a specific response in the cell.

Receptor Protein Mutation

: A change or alteration in receptor proteins which can affect their function. This can lead to various diseases if these proteins fail to perform their normal functions.

Receptor Proteins

: Receptor proteins are special structures within cells or situated on their exterior surfaces that bind specific substances, triggering changes in the behavior of the cells.

Signal Transduction Pathway

: A signal transduction pathway is a series of molecular events through which cells respond to external signals. These pathways convert these signals into cellular responses.

Type 1 Diabetes

: An autoimmune disease where pancreas produces little or no insulin due to destructions of insulin-producing cells by immune system. This leads to high levels of sugar (glucose) in bloodstream.

Type 2 Diabetes

: A chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), resulting in too much sugar circulating in your blood. It's often associated with obesity and lack of exercise.

4.4 Changes in Signal Transduction Pathways

3 min readjanuary 4, 2023

Annika Tekumulla

Annika Tekumulla

Haseung Jun

Haseung Jun

Annika Tekumulla

Annika Tekumulla

Haseung Jun

Haseung Jun

Cellular Processes

Changes to any structure in the cell cycle can affect the . As we talked about earlier, the has the ability to alter . Specifically, mutations can to detrimental effects on later responses. 

Mutations

Mutations have the ability to greatly impact the cell cycle. It can disturb the production of , which could be crucial to the cell's survival. Or, for example, mutations in the can prevent the cell from regulating its cell cycle. When the cell cycle is unregulated, it can result in unrestricted cell division that could to harmful conditions like cancer. 

Let's look at an example. is a type of that tells the liver to store glucose as and reduce the level of sugar in the bloodstream. It travels through the blood stream, and it binds to a on the surface of a . Accordingly, the activates a sequence to link the together into a long chain, making . Then, the is decreased. However, when mutations happen with creating the , recepting the or activating a response. This might be because the was deleted, missing or damaged. comes from the inability to create . This type of mutation causes patients to be unable to regulate their .

, on the other hand, comes from the inability to recognize . This means that the is unable to recognize what the is trying to say, thus unable to follow through with a response and store glucose. This may be due to a mutation with the when it was being made.

We will go over more effects that mutations can have on cells in section 4.7 Regulation of Cell Cycle.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-qB4UWLL7bS2Z.webp?alt=media&token=0b314e8e-97dc-49e2-b8ca-190e9ba1393f

Image courtesy of Giphy.

Chemicals

Along with mutations, have the ability to alter the . These can either activate or hamper the pathway’s response. For example, such as , polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and have the ability to have with specific signal transduction pathways.

Things like temperature, and pH can cause disruptions too. Remember ? The same applies here. Without , the is a complete failure. If the , therefore, are damaged or denatured in any way shape or form, the could be significantly altered. Like the example, the receptor might not recognize a , or maybe a cell won't be able to produce a . This can cause the cell to fail to response more effectively.

Lastly we have . These can block the sites of the , so the can't bind. This will, again, cause great disruptions to the signal transduction pathways. This is actually how most medications are made. They usually take place of a so that a specific part of the body functions are not being processed.

Key Terms to Review (22)

Blood Sugar Level

: The concentration of glucose present in the blood. It is usually measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Cellular Processes

: Cellular processes are the biochemical mechanisms that occur within living cells to maintain life, such as cell division, protein synthesis, and energy production.

Chemicals

: Substances produced by different processes involving changes at molecular level. They have specific properties and play crucial roles in biological processes.

Denatured Proteins

: Denatured proteins have lost their native shape and biological function due to stress factors like heat, pH changes, or chemicals.

DNA

: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is a molecule that carries most of the genetic instructions used in development, functioning and reproduction of all known living organisms.

Ethanol

: Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a type of alcohol produced by yeast during fermentation. It's found in alcoholic beverages and used as a biofuel.

Glucose Molecules

: Glucose molecules are simple sugars that serve as primary energy sources for living organisms. They can be broken down during cellular respiration to provide energy for cells.

Glycogen

: Glycogen is a polysaccharide that serves as the primary form of energy storage in animals and fungi. It's similar to starch but has more extensive branching.

Inhibitors

: Inhibitors are substances that reduce the activity of enzymes, slowing down or even stopping certain reactions in the body.

Insulin

: Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. It allows cells to take in glucose from the bloodstream and use it as energy.

Lead

: Lead is a heavy metal that is naturally occurring in the earth's crust. It is toxic to humans and animals when ingested or inhaled, causing damage to the nervous system and other organs.

Ligand

: A ligand is a molecule that binds to another (usually larger) molecule. In cell communication, it's often the signal molecule that binds to a receptor.

Liver Cell

: Liver cells, also known as hepatocytes, are responsible for protein synthesis, detoxification and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion among other functions.

Neurotoxic Effects

: Neurotoxic effects refer to the damage or disruption of the structure and function of neurons, which are the nerve cells in our brain and nervous system, due to exposure to natural or artificial toxic substances.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

: PCBs are man-made organic chemicals consisting of carbon, hydrogen and chlorine atoms. They were used in numerous industrial applications but were banned due to their environmental persistence and potential health risks.

Proteins

: Large biomolecules consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms.

Receptor Protein

: A receptor protein is a molecule found on the surface of cells that binds to specific substances, triggering a specific response in the cell.

Receptor Protein Mutation

: A change or alteration in receptor proteins which can affect their function. This can lead to various diseases if these proteins fail to perform their normal functions.

Receptor Proteins

: Receptor proteins are special structures within cells or situated on their exterior surfaces that bind specific substances, triggering changes in the behavior of the cells.

Signal Transduction Pathway

: A signal transduction pathway is a series of molecular events through which cells respond to external signals. These pathways convert these signals into cellular responses.

Type 1 Diabetes

: An autoimmune disease where pancreas produces little or no insulin due to destructions of insulin-producing cells by immune system. This leads to high levels of sugar (glucose) in bloodstream.

Type 2 Diabetes

: A chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar (glucose), resulting in too much sugar circulating in your blood. It's often associated with obesity and lack of exercise.


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.