What is the general name for the chemicals that act as sex attractants in many insects? A hormone was produced in one cell, entered the blood stream and travelled to two groups of cells adjacent to each other - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 1 - 2007 - Paper 1

The most likely reason for the difference in response by cells to the same hormone is the presence of specific receptors on the target cells. Cells that responded to the hormone have receptors that bind to it, leading to a signaling cascade, while neighboring cells might lack these receptors or possess different signaling pathways, rendering them unresponsive.

The hormone I chose is insulin.

Insulin is produced by the pancreas, specifically by the beta cells located in the islets of Langerhans.

Signal transduction refers to the process by which a cell translates a chemical signal from outside the cell into a functional response inside the cell. This involves the binding of a signaling molecule, such as a hormone, to a receptor on the cell membrane, leading to a cascade of intracellular events that ultimately results in a cellular response.

The outcome of signal transduction in the target cells for insulin is the regulation of glucose uptake. When insulin binds to its receptor on target cells, it promotes the translocation of glucose transporters to the cell membrane, facilitating the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, thereby lowering blood glucose levels.