Related topics: cells · protein · brain · molecules · nerve cells

Researchers study the intricate processes underpinning gene expression

A new study led by University of Maryland physicists sheds light on the cellular processes that regulate genes. Published in the journal Science Advances, the paper explains how the dynamics of a polymer called chromatin—the ...

How plant biology research could inform COVID-19 treatments

Investigating the building blocks of biology can lead to unexpected outcomes. That's what happened when researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory were exploring plant genetics. Although their ...

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Receptor (biochemistry)

In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein molecule, embedded in either the plasma membrane or cytoplasm of a cell, to which a mobile signaling (or "signal") molecule may attach. A molecule which binds to a receptor is called a "ligand," and may be a peptide (such as a neurotransmitter), a hormone, a pharmaceutical drug, or a toxin, and when such binding occurs, the receptor undergoes a conformational change which ordinarily initiates a cellular response. However, some ligands merely block receptors without inducing any response (e.g. antagonists). Ligand-induced changes in receptors result in physiological changes which constitute the biological activity of the ligands.

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