AP Biology: Unit 4 Review

Front

What is Negative Feedback?

Back

A feedback mechanism that helps maintain homeostasis by counteracting changes in a physiological condition.

Front

What happens when a ligand binds to a receptor?

Back

The receptor undergoes a conformational change in shape.

Front

What are the responses of a cell from a signal transduction pathway?

Back

Responses include cell growth, gene expression, and secretion of molecules.

Front

What is the role of ligands in signal transduction?

Back

Ligands are signaling molecules that bind to receptors to initiate a response.

Front

What are the three parts of a signal transduction pathway?

Back

Reception, transduction, and response.

Front

What is the function of secondary messengers in signal transduction?

Back

They amplify the signal within the cell after the receptor is activated.

Front

What is a phosphorylation cascade?

Back

A series of chemical reactions in a cell where one enzyme phosphorylates another, leading to a cellular response.

Front

What is the difference between positive and negative feedback mechanisms?

Back

Positive feedback amplifies a response, while negative feedback reduces or counteracts a response.

Front

What is signal amplification in signal transduction?

Back

The process by which a small initial signal is greatly increased through a series of molecular events.

Front

What is gene expression in the context of signal transduction?

Back

The process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize a functional gene product, often proteins.