Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain how the binding of a ligand initiates signal transduction throughout a cellRecognize the role of phosphorylation in the transmission of intracellular signalsEvaluate the role of second messengers in signal transmission

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe how signaling pathways direct protein expression, cellular metabolism, and cell growthIdentify the function of PKC in signal transduction pathwaysRecognize the role of apoptosis in the development and maintenance of a healthy organism

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe four types of signaling found in multicellular organismsCompare internal receptors with cell-surface receptorsRecognize the relationship between a ligand’s structure and its mechanism of action

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe how single-celled yeasts use cell signaling to communicate with one anotherRelate the role of quorum sensing to the ability of some bacteria to form biofilms

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Pancreatic cancer continues to have a high mortality rate due to a lack of effective early diagnostic and treatment approaches. However, secreted vesicles called exosomes could hold the key to unlock better strategies. These vesicles contain numerous cargoes, such as lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids and play roles in various processes, including cell–cell communication. Exosomes secreted from pancreatic cancer cells contain signaling molecules that promote cancer progression. These exosome cargoes suppress immunity, facilitate tumor blood vessel formation, and encourage fibrosis, thus creating a more pro-cancer microenvironment. Exosomes can also promote metastasis to distant regions and reprogram normal cells into cancer cells. Despite their negative effects, the molecules in cancer cell–derived exosomes can be used as valuable biomarkers for pancreatic cancer diagnosis and prognosis prediction..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Chronic kidney disease is a growing health crisis currently affecting about 10% of the global population. Recent studies have linked certain forms of this disease to proteins called connexins. Connexins create portals between cells to facilitate communication and signaling. When connexins fail, signaling molecules normally shuttled between cells spill into the local surroundings. That spillage sets off a chain of events that can ultimately lead to kidney failure. Worse yet, studies suggest that some connexins, such as Cx43, can actually aggravate the leak. In search of a possible fix, researchers examined what happens when Cx43 is blocked with a similar protein called Peptide 5. Test-tube experiments showed that Peptide 5 improved human kidney cells exhibiting signs of disease, reducing the molecular “leakiness” of those cells caused by Cx43, and restoring their function to some degree..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Osteoporosis, a disease that causes bone loss, currently affects more than 200 million people worldwide. While anti-osteoporosis drugs do exist, they tend to produce complicated side effects. That has scientists exploring various molecular pathways in search of viable therapeutic targets, namely pathways related to the signaling molecule STAT3. STAT3 plays important roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival and is proving to be critical in regulating bone remodeling processes. STAT3 regulates both bone formation and breakdown through an array of signaling cytokines, transmembrane proteins, and cytoplasmic proteins. Research is revealing different ways of targeting STAT3 signaling to fight osteoporosis. These include STAT3-sensitive drugs such as the natural products catalpol and methylsulfonylmethane, microRNAs that regulate bone homeostasis, and different families of cells, including immature blood cells, white blood cells, and immune cells..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Even though it might seem like our bodies are on autopilot, there is a whole lot happening inside us to keep things moving. In this episode of Crash Course Biology, we’ll learn that our cells are in constant communication, reminding each other—and themselves—to perform important functions like breathing, walking, or even sleeping.

Chapters:
Behind the Scenes
Cell Communication
How Cells Respond to Signals
Platypus Reproduction
Types of Signaling
Review & Credits
Credits