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Paracrine signals act locally between nearby cells. By what mechanism do these ligands move from the signaling cell to the target cell?
ATransport through the bloodstream
BMovement through gap junctions
CActive transport across the synapse
DDiffusion through the extracellular matrix
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Diffusion through the extracellular matrix
1. Paracrine signals act locally between cells that are close together.
2. These signals move by diffusion through the extracellular matrix rather than through the blood.
3. Endocrine ligands, not paracrine ligands, travel through the bloodstream.
4. Gap junctions carry intracellular mediators directly between adjacent cells, which is a different mechanism from paracrine diffusion.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Cell Communication", section 9.1 Signaling Molecules and Cellular Receptors_
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