Module 1: Cell Communication

The key points from this module are:

According to Holtfreter, there is selective affinity, meaning each cell knows with what it wants to interact and with what it wants to avoid interacting.

Cadherins stand for Calcium-dependent cell adhesion. These are the really important molecules for cell adhesion.

There are diffrent types of Cadherins:
E-cadherin - Early embryo
P-cadherin - Placental attachment to the uterus
R-cadherin - Retina information
N-cadherin - Central nervous system

An inducer is a molecule produced by the cells that induce other cells to adopt a specific fate.
Two main modes of inductive interaction are:

Instructive
Permissive

Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death. It is used during early development to eliminate unwanted cells. it is used to rid the body of cells that have been damaged beyond repair.


Juxtacrine is where the ligand and receptor are membrane-bound and therefore the cells have to be physically adjacent to each other.

ECM is a source of signaling for development, it is critical for cell attachment, migration, etc.