Cell-to-cell Communication (Cell Signaling)
“Almost without exception, whenever two or more living cells interact in a specific way, cell surface carbohydrates will be involved.“
- Dr. John Hodgson[1]
Cellular communication is a hot topic in the science industry as there are many links to cell signaling
errors and degenerative and autoimmune diseases.[2] Cell communication (cell signaling) is a new field of study which is supported by very little information. This is rapidly changing, however.
There are different ways in which a cell communicates:
Cell to Cell Contact Proteins Hormones Electrical and Chemical Signals Others...
Cell to Cell Contact
Cells respond to cell-to-cell or extracellular-matrix-cell contact.[3] These interactions are mostly done
through glycoproteins[4] (a protein coated with glyconutrients[5]). Through contact, cells can receive structural and functional signals. Through contact, a skin cell, for example, “knows” that it’s on the surface of your body and not inside, like a heart cell. Through contact, cells can even instruct cells to
undergo apoptosis.[3]
Proteins
Proteins are secreted from a cell, travel a short distance to a a neighboring cell where they are recognized and interpreted. These signals can tell one cell to become a skin cell and a nearby cell to
become a hair cell.[6]Hormones
Hormones are considered long range signals. These are created by the endocrine system, put in the
blood stream and distributed to the necessary organs.[6][7] Hormones are responsible for development, sexual development in puberty, sexual appetite, sleep, and just about every major function in your body. There exist long range proteins that are sometimes thought of as hormones, insulin is a good
example.[8]
Electrical and Chemical Signals
Electrical and chemical signals are responsible for communicating very complex messages between neurons or between neurons and muscles cells.[9] The point of contact between two cells, called synapses,[10] is where electrical signals are converted into a chemical signal and then back into an electrical signal in the other cell.[11] These signals are very interesting and may be responsible for learning, memory[12] and ultimately consciousness.
Xanya Sofra Weiss
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