Paracrine

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Paracrine

Paracrine (/pəˈrækrɪn/; from Greek para, "beside" or "near" and krinein, "to separate or divide") refers to a form of cell-to-cell communication in which a cell produces a signal to induce changes in nearby cells, altering the behavior or differentiation of those cells.

Etymology

The term "paracrine" was coined by the British pharmacologist Sir Henry Hallett Dale in the 1930s, from the Greek words "para" (beside) and "krinein" (to separate or divide). This reflects the nature of paracrine signaling, where the signal is passed to nearby cells, rather than being transported through the bloodstream or other means.

Function

Paracrine signaling is a form of cell communication that involves the release of chemical signals from the signaling cell. These signals, or ligands, then bind to specific receptors on the surface of nearby target cells, triggering a response. This type of signaling is crucial in many biological processes, including cell growth, cell differentiation, and immune response.

Related Terms

  • Autocrine signaling: A form of cell signaling in which a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger that binds to autocrine receptors on the same cell, leading to changes in the cell.
  • Endocrine signaling: A form of cell signaling where endocrine cells release hormones that act on distant target cells in the body.
  • Juxtacrine signaling: A type of cell signaling where cells communicate through direct contact, without the need for secretion of signals.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski