AP BIOLOGY

THE CELL

CELL COMMUNICATION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Ligands are signaling molecules that bind to receptors. Which of the following statements is true of ligands?
A
All ligands are proteins.
B
Each ligand is only able to bind to one specific receptor
C
Ligands can bind to cell-surface receptors, but they cannot enter the cell
D
Ligands bond to receptor proteins and cause the protein to relay a message to intracellular proteins.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -When a ligand binds an ion channel receptor, a channel through the plasma membrane opens that allows specific ions to pass through. This process requires a specialized membrane-spanning region of the receptor.

Detailed explanation-2: -When a ligand binds to a protein, it undergoes a conformational change which in turn leads to a physiological response. The time a ligand spends attached to a receptor or specific protein is a function of the affinity between the ligand and the protein.

Detailed explanation-3: -When a ligand binds to a cell-surface receptor, the receptor’s intracellular domain (part inside the cell) changes in some way. Generally, it takes on a new shape, which may make it active as an enzyme or let it bind other molecules. The change in the receptor sets off a series of signaling events.

Detailed explanation-4: -The ligand crosses the plasma membrane and binds to the receptor in the cytoplasm. The receptor then moves to the nucleus, where it binds DNA to regulate transcription.

There is 1 question to complete.