Signal Transduction
Just like in our daily lives, signal transduction is similar to
human to human contact. We have varying modes for communicating in
varying distances. Direct contact (face to face conversations), short
distances (hand signals), long distances
(mail,email,phone,text,skype,etc). We are perpatuating what our cells
have long been programed to do.
As with communications, there are components to it (although
conversations are usually too intuitive to necessitate a breakdown):
sending signal, receiving signal, information relay, acivation of
effectors and termination. This is just a scientific way of saying we
send a signal, we recieve a signal, we interpret the signal, this signal
interpretation elicits a response and eventually we end communication.
For those texters out there it is simple, you text, you wait for a
response, you receive a text, you read/interpret a text
(tones/language/etc), what you read elicits something a response (LAME,
LOL, LMFAO, etc) and finally you end. But for cells it is a formal
termination, not just one in which you stop texting = stoping the
conversation or stop talking on the phone = stopping the conversation,
there is a hang up/or putting away of the phone that signals signal
transduction/cell communication termination.
