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B cells and antibodies

By: HWC, Views: 8513

What Are Antibodies? Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are Y-shaped proteins that are produced by the immune system to help stop intruders from harming the body. When an intruder enters the body, the immune system springs into action. These invaders, which are called antigens, can be vi...

What are the Parts of a Plant Cell?

By: HWC, Views: 6775

Every chloroplast in a plant cell is packed with stacks of flattened sacs called thylakoids. The thylakoid membranes contain chlorophyll, as well as most of the other components required for the light reactions of photosynthesis. The chlorophyll-containing structures within the membranes are c...

Conduction of action potentials

By: HWC, Views: 7884

• Action potentials must be rapidly conducted over long distances in order for the nervous system to communicate with other cells. • Propagation of an action potential uses processes similar to those that generate the potential at the trigger zone. • a When a graded potential reaches ...

Phases of an Action Potential - Resting Potential, Threshold, Rising, Falling, & Recovery Phases

By: HWC, Views: 7142

In this tutorial, we will review the phases of an action potential measured from a small area of a neuron's membrane. The action potential can be divided into five phases: the resting potential, threshold, the rising phase, the falling phase, and the recovery phase. When the neuron is at rest,...

How does asthma work?And How do you treat asthma?

By: HWC, Views: 6659

These are the parts of the respiratory system. Sinuses and Nasal Passages Mouth Windpipe (Trachea) Lungs Airways (Bronchial Tubes) Airsacs (Alveoli) When we breathe, air moves easily in and out of the lungs. The small airways are also called bronchial tubes. The side of the tube is...

Endocytosis -Types and Phagocytosis

By: HWC, Views: 7759

Endocytosis is the process by which a substance is brought inside a cell without having to pass through the cell membrane. It is the opposite of endocytosis, the process by which substances exit the cell without having to pass through the cell membrane. Exocytosis – membrane-enclosed secret...

Action potentials - electrical characteristics and generation

By: HWC, Views: 7569

• An action potential is the nervous impulse or signal for long distance communication. Each action potential is generated at the cell's trigger zone. • Action potentials are considered an all-or-nothing phenomena because they are either generated or not. • The generation of an action...

Second Messengers in the Inositol-lipid Signaling Pathway

By: HWC, Views: 7002

Extracellular signals produce specific responses in target cells through the action of intracellular second messengers. Here, we focus on three second messengers, IP3, DAG, and Ca2+, all involved in the inositol-lipid signaling pathway. A hormone-receptor signal on the cell surface leads to the a...

ATPase function - membrane transport, contractile proteins and synthesis

By: HWC, Views: 8090

• Energy from ATP is used to move ions across the cell membrane during active transport. • This membrane protein transports sodium out of the cell and potassium into the cell. As such, it is called a sodium-potassium pump. • Because this pump also acts as an enzyme to hydrolyze ATP it i...