Information Pathway into the Cell (IMAGE)
Caption
The cell interior is protected against external influences by the cell membrane. To channel information into the cell, which is transmitted by a messenger (H), special signal pathways exist. A: The messenger binds to a receptor in the membrane and activates it (illustrated here by the color change). In turn, the receptor activates a G protein. B: From this, the alpha subunit splits off and binds to the last part of the signal pathway, a protein called adenylyl cyclase. This transforms ATP -- which stores energy for the cell -- into so-called cyclic AMP (cAMP), an important secondary messenger in the cell.
Credit
Paul Scherrer Institute/Markus Fischer
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