How is cell signaling similar to metabolic pathways such as cellular respiration?
Many cellular processes use similar mechanisms to achieve different results. Metabolic pathways are series of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Enzymes interact to remove and add phosphate groups to molecules or to move protons across a membrane. Similarly in cell signaling, receptor proteins interact with specific molecules and often remove or ad phosphate groups. The phosphorylation of receptor proteins is a very similar process to steps in metabolic pathways but with a very different function. In metabolism phosphorylation is a method of transferring energy, in cell signaling it transmits information. View the animation below, then complete the quiz to test your knowledge of the concept.
