Synonym(s)
- intracellular second messengers
Definition(s)
- A diverse family of low molecular weight compounds such as cyclic AMP and calcium ions, which transmit the biological signals initiated by receptor-ligand binding at the cell surface to intracellular targets such as gene expression.
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Definition from: CRISP Thesaurus via Unified Medical Language System
at the National Library of Medicine
- Systems in which an intracellular signal is generated in response to an intercellular primary messenger such as a hormone or neurotransmitter. They are intermediate signals in cellular processes such as metabolism, secretion, contraction, phototransduction, and cell growth. Examples of second messenger systems are the adenyl cyclase-cyclic AMP system, the phosphatidylinositol diphosphate-inositol triphosphate system, and the cyclic GMP system.
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Definition from: MeSH via Unified Medical Language System at the National Library of Medicine
- A cellular substance (as cyclic AMP) that mediates cell activity by relaying a signal from an extracellular molecule (as of a hormone or neurotransmitter) bound to the cell's surface
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Definition from: Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary by Merriam-Webster Inc.
Related discussion in the Handbook
See also Understanding Medical Terminology.
