Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• define and use each of the terms printed in bold in the text

• understand the basic principles of signal transduction mechanisms, in particular the concepts of response specificity, signal amplitude and duration, signal integration and intracellular location

• give examples of different types of extracellular signals and receptors, and explain their functional significance

• describe the mechanisms by which different receptors may be activated by their respective ligands

• describe and give examples of the structure and properties of the major components of signal transduction pathways.