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Role of transport in a cell

By: HWC, Views: 7876

Transport of chemicals across the plasma membrane provides the following functions: Importing molecules for the maintenance of metabolic processes. Exporting chemicals produced by the cell or waste products. Communicating with other cells, allowing for the generation and conduction of a...

Membrane transport proteins - pores, gated channels and pumps

By: HWC, Views: 7859

• a Three different types of membrane ion transport proteins are required to produce and carry electrical signals: • Pores • Gated channels • Na+/ K+ pump • Pores are always open and allow the diffusion of Na+ and K+ ions across the membrane, down their concentration gradients...

Requirements for nervous signals

By: HWC, Views: 7689

• The function of neurons is to allow communication between cells, thereby maintaining homeostasis. • Electrical signals, called membrane potentials, travel along the membranes of the neurons. • Voltage variability and distance traveled determine the type of nervous signal. 1. Graded...

Summation - defined, spatial, temporal & AP generation or not

By: HWC, Views: 7661

If several presynaptic end bulbs release their neurotransmitter at about the same time, the combined effect may generate a nerve impulse due to summation Summation may be spatial or temporal • A typical neuron may have thousands of synapses. A corresponding number of postsynaptic membrane ...

Lactation and Breast Feeding

By: HWC, Views: 8548

Regulation of lactation - breast preparation • Pregnancy hormones trigger breast changes to prepare for feeding the new baby. • The amount of the hormone prolactin, essential to the initiation of lactation, increases steadily throughout pregnancy. • However, high levels of both estroge...

Mechanism of enzyme action

By: HWC, Views: 7611

■ The substrate makes contact with the active site. ■ A change in the shape of the enzyme occurs resulting in the transformation of the substrate. ■ A substrate may undergo decomposition, have its atoms rearranged, or two substrates may be synthesized. ■ The products of the reaction...

Muscle cell structures - actin, myosin and titin filaments

By: HWC, Views: 7889

Once the muscle cell has been excited it will contract. • A muscle action potential will trigger the release Of Ca2+ ions into the sarcoplasm. • The Ca2+ ions bind to the regulatory proteins and trigger contraction. • Within skeletal muscle cells are structures that provide the ability...

Olfaction. or the sense of smell

By: HWC, Views: 5166

Do you ever wonder how you can distinguish thousands of different odors? Olfaction. or the sense of smell, is used by all mammals to navigate, find food, and even find mates. We have millions of olfactory receptors for smelling in our nose. These receptor neurons bind water-soluble or volatil...

Gastrin (protein digestion)

By: HWC, Views: 7742

The endocrine system maintains many body conditions within normal limits with feedback loops. Each endocrine feedback loop maintains homeostasis using the following components: • Stimulus - a change in a body condition. • Production cell - an endocrine cell that produces a hormone after b...