Cell signalling

When our body needs to send a message or communicate with different parts, it does it through cell signalling. Just like when you want to talk to your friend from across the room, but your friend is too far to hear you, so you use gestures or hand signals to communicate what you want to say. In the same way, cells also use different methods to send signals or messages to each other, even though they may be far apart.

Think of our body like a big city with lots of different neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own language that its residents use to communicate with each other, but when they need to communicate with someone from another neighborhood who speaks a different language, they need a translator. Similarly, different cells in our body speak different languages, and there are special proteins called receptors that act as translators to allow different cells to talk to each other.

When a cell wants to send a signal, it releases a chemical called a messenger, which travels through the bloodstream or between cells to reach its target. Once the messenger reaches its target cell, it binds to a specific receptor on the surface of that cell like a key fitting into a lock. This binding triggers a signal inside the target cell that causes a specific response or action.

For example, when you touch something hot, the pain receptors in your skin send a signal to your brain that tells you to pull your hand away. Similarly, when your body is fighting an infection, cells in your immune system release chemical messengers that signal other cells to attack and destroy the invading germs.

In summary, cell signalling is how cells talk to each other using chemical messengers and receptors to trigger responses and actions in target cells. It's like a big city where cells speak different languages, but they use translators to communicate and work together to keep our body healthy and functioning properly.