For each concept, you need to be able to describe:

1. What does it mean/How does it work?

2. Why is it important/How does it fit into the bigger picture?
3. What is an example from a case study, experiment, or organism?

Unit 4 Key Concepts (10-15%)

1. What are the three types of cell communication? (Very important to know examples for each!)
2. Signal transduction involves reception, transduction, and response.
3. How does a GPCR pathway work?
4. Secondary messengers amplify the signaling cascade.
5. Membrane receptors vs. intracellular receptors
6. What might a mutation in a receptor protein or a signaling pathway protein result in?
7. Kinase vs. phosphatase
8. Negative feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
9. Positive feedback mechanisms amplify responses and induces a system change.
10. The cell cycle consists of G1, S, G2, Mitosis, and cytokinesis.
11. Cells can be in a G0 phase where it no longer divides, but could potentially reenter the cell cycle.
12. Explain the sequence of how mitosis occurs.
13. The interactions between cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) act as “checkpoints”
controlling the cell cycle.
14. Disruptions to the cell cycle may result in cancer and/or apoptosis.