Autocrine?

Autocrine?

• A. Hormones that act on neighboring cells
• B. Hormones that act on the same cells that secrete them
• C. Neurotransmitters that travel through the bloodstream
• D. Signals that adjust the tempo of gene transcription

Answer: (B)

Autocrine signaling is when a cell releases a chemical messenger that acts on receptors on the same cell that released it, giving the cell a way to regulate itself or amplify a local response. In this sense, the messenger targets the secretor itself, not neighboring cells or distant tissues. That’s why describing the signal as acting on the same cell that produced it is the defining feature of autocrine communication. By comparison, signals that affect nearby cells (paracrine) or travel through the bloodstream to distant cells (endocrine) involve different spatial patterns, and a statement about changing the rate of gene transcription refers to the cellular response mechanism rather than the signaling distance.

Autocrine signaling is when a cell releases a chemical messenger that acts on receptors on the same cell that released it, giving the cell a way to regulate itself or amplify a local response. In this sense, the messenger targets the secretor itself, not neighboring cells or distant tissues. That’s why describing the signal as acting on the same cell that produced it is the defining feature of autocrine communication. By comparison, signals that affect nearby cells (paracrine) or travel through the bloodstream to distant cells (endocrine) involve different spatial patterns, and a statement about changing the rate of gene transcription refers to the cellular response mechanism rather than the signaling distance.