Signal Transduction

Molecular signals, such as hormones or growth factors, are received by interaction between the signalling molecule (ligand) and a receptor specific for that signal on the surface of the cell.

Through a series of steps, the message from that signal gets transmitted and amplified within the receiving cell, often leading to activation or deactivation of specific transcription factors in the nucleus.

The signal transduction pathway is highly conserved in all eukaryotic organisms and we have therefore been able to learn many of the details of the pathway using model organisms. The pathway involves the products of several genes (for example, Ras) that are mutant in cancer cells. One event controlled by a signal transduction pathway is the decision of whether a cell will continue dividing.

	DNA Structure and Function
	DNA Replication
	Transcription
	Transcription Factors
	Signal Transduction
	Cell Cycle