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Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a signaling ligand with an unusual property compared to protein ligands. What is that property, and what functional consequence follows from it?
AIt is a gas with a very short half-life, so it only functions over short distances
BIt is a gas with an extremely long half-life, so it functions over very long distances
CIt is a protein that must bind carrier proteins to travel through blood
DIt is a solid crystal that dissolves slowly inside target cells
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. It is a gas with a very short half-life, so it only functions over short distances
1. Nitric oxide is a gas that acts as a ligand and diffuses directly across the plasma membrane.
2. NO has a very short half-life and therefore only functions over short distances.
3. This is why nitroglycerin, which triggers NO release, restores blood flow locally to the heart in heart disease treatment.
4. A long half-life enabling long-distance function is the opposite of the short half-life described for NO.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Cell Communication", section Signaling Molecules_
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