WEBQUEST----CELL SIGNALING & COMMUNICATION

GO TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:

CLICK ON “DIRECTING TRAFFIC: HOW VESICLES TRANSPORTCARGO”

  1. Where can vesicles form AND what do they do?
  2. What does the cell use to help organize the vesicles and make sure they get sent where they need to go?
  3. How do motor proteins act?
  4. DESCRIBE 2 of these motor proteins.
  5. How can some vesicles “rocket” through the cytoplasm?

GO BACK TO “MEMBRANES ORGANIZE CELLULAR COMPLEXITY”

  1. On an average, proteins make up about ______the mass of the membrane.
  2. DESCRIBE transporters, channels, and receptor proteins.

GO BACK TO “AN EXAMPLE OF CELL COMMUNICATION: The Fight orFlight Response”

Watch the movies (if you are able to on your computer).

Then click “Play by Play Printout-pdf” at the bottom of the page.

  1. What structure in the brain detects the 1st environmental signal?
  2. This structure sends a nervous signal where?
  3. This structure sends a chemical signal where?
  4. What does the pituitary gland release?
  5. Where is the adrenal gland located?
  6. The adrenal gland releases ______or ______into the bloodstream.
  7. Which is the signaling molecule?
  8. Which is the receptor?
  9. What kind of molecule is cAMP?
  10. What does cAMP activate?
  11. What is the StAR regulatory protein responsible for?
  12. What is the final product that leaves the adrenal gland freely across the cell membrane called?
  13. Describe what types of signaling cascades that cortisol will initiate?
  14. What enzyme breaks down glycogen into glucose?
  15. Glucose gets transported out of what organ’s cells?
  16. How does the important cell signaling molecule, epinephrine (adrenaline) work on the skin?
  17. How does epinephrine work on sweat glands?
  18. How does epinephrine work on the lungs?
  19. How does epinephrine work on the heart?

GO BACK TO “DROPPING SIGNALS”

Click on each of the 5 types of cells: muscle, photoreceptor (in the eye), cancer, leaf parenchyma (in leaves), and fibroblast ( a muscle cell). Drag each of the 4 signals onto the cell to see how it responds. Record your results in the table below:

Light nitric oxidecytokine (growth

Factor) Hormone

muscle
photoreceptor
Leaf parenchyma
cancer
fibroblast

GO BACK TO “WHEN CELL COMMUNICATION GOES WRONG”

  1. Most ______are caused by at least 1 breakdown in cell communication.
  2. Where is insulin released?
  3. What cells can store insulin for later use?
  4. What disease is caused by the pancreas not releasing insulin?
  5. Where does sugar accumulate as a result?
  6. What can this disease lead to?
  7. In multiple sclerosis patients, why can nerve cells no longer transmit signals to different areas in the brain?
  8. What can this nerve damage lead to?
  9. Give an example of a disease that’s caused by target cells ignoring cell signals.
  10. What’s the immediate result of a stroke?
  11. Dying brain cells release a lot of the signaling molecule ______.
  12. Large amounts of glutamate are ______to cells.
  13. What is excitotoxicity?
  14. ______results from uncontrolled cell growth & division. It requires many ______breakdowns. Usually, in normal cells, unregulated cell growth triggers a signal for ______.
  15. Many disease treatments rely on ______.
  16. How does an asthma attack happen in terms of cell signaling?
  17. How do drugs that treat asthma work?

GO BACK TO “THE INSIDE STORY OF CELL COMMUNICATION”

  1. EXPLAIN how a signal travels into the cell besides merely crossing the cell membrane.
  2. Only cells with correct ______proteins on their surfaces will respond to a signal.
  3. Signals often move from protein to protein with a cell being ______in some way.
  4. What makes up a signaling pathway?
  5. DESCRIBE 4 ways a protein can direct cell responses.
  6. What is “cross talk”?