Victoria DeBarbieris

Wendi Toledo Delgado

AP BIOLOGY CELL COMMUNICATION WEBQUEST

OBJECTIVE: Using the information (print, videos, simulations, etc.) at the Genetic Science
Learning Center site, students will develop an understanding of the processes by which cells
communicate with adjacent as well as distant cells.

Use the URL below and the designated links to navigate through this activity and familiarize
yourself with cell structure and functions.
Navigate to the Genetic Science Learning Center’s “Amazing Cells” Module:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cells/
Cell Communication Basics

Click on and answer the following questions.

1. How do cells communicate? They communicate by sending and receiving

2. Where do signals originate from?
3. What must the signal do in order to
cause a response?
4. Once the signal reaches the inside of
the cell, what happens?
5. What do proteins do to the signal as
the signal passes through/by the
protein?
6. How can a cell convert a small signal
into a large response?
7. Give three examples of cellular
responses that a signal can create.
8. What does “cross-talk” allow for?
Navigate back to the original page.
signals.
They originate from the environment, or
other cells.
The signal must be transmitted across the
cell membrane.
The signal continues on it way.
Each protein modifies the signal in some sort
of way.
Signals can be divided and amplified within
the cells.
a. A signal can cause a change in shape.
b. A signal can activate an enzyme
c. A signal can cause a vesical to release
particles.
Cross talk allows for information from many
different signaling pathways to initiate an
appropriate response.

Click on and answer the following questions.

1. Summarize the information contained Normally in the human body when sugar is
in in your own broken down, insulin is released by the
pancreas to store the sugar. In type 1
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Wendi Toledo Delgado
words. Be sure to include information diabetes, insulin is no longer present, which
related to the real-life example given. results in sugar not being able to be stored
properly. This can lead to kidney failure,
blindness, and heart disease.
2. Summarize the information contained Nerve cells naturally have wrappings around
in them for protection. In multiple sclerosis, the
in your own words. Be sure to include protective wrappings are destroyed. Because
information related to the real-life of this, the signals cannot get across and are
example given. lost, leading to muscle weakness, blurred or
double vision, difficulty with balance,
uncontrolled movements, and depression.
3. Summarize the information contained Normally, insulin signals sugar to break down
in in and go into storage. However, in type 2
your own words. Be sure to include diabetes, the sugar ignores the insulin. This
information related to the real-life causes the same effects as type 1 diabetes.
example given.
4. Summarize the information contained A blood clot in the brain can cause a stroke.
in in your own This causes the cells nearby to die. Then, the
words. Be sure to include information dying nerve cells release too much of a
related to the real-life example given. signaling molecule called glutamate. This
causes more cells to die.
5. Summarize the information contained The cell growth and division is an important
process that maintains balance inside your
in in your own
cells. Although it can maintain balance there
words. Be sure to include information
will always be a break downage of cell
related to the real-life example given.
communication. For example, uncontrolled
cell growth can lead to cancer in many ways
as it also requires multiple breakdowns.
6. Summarize the information contained Cells need communication in order to receive
in in your own words. treatment. In order for treatment to work,
Be sure to include information related they first need to find the problem. Then,
to the real-life example given. they need to find a way to fix it. For example,
to treat diabetes, insulin shots can help.

Navigate back to the original page.

Click on DROPPING SIGNALS, then use the information on this page to answer the following
questions. Click in the center of the box labeled “Leaf Parenchyma.”
Click on the next to “LIGHT”
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Wendi Toledo Delgado

Click on the next to “NITRIC OXIDE”

3. What is the formula for nitic oxide?
4. Explain how nitric oxide behaves in /
between cells.
5. Why can nitric oxide not travel far in the
today?
N2O
NO moves freely across cell membranes, but
cannot travel far in the body.
Nitric acid can only last about 10 seconds
after it is made.

Click on the next to “CYTOKINE”

6. What is a cytokine? A cytokine is a small protein molecule
produced by a cell that travels to nearby
cells.

Click on the next to “HORMONE”

7. What are hormones?
8. How do hormones get from one part
of the body to another?
They are a small chemical or protein
molecules formed in one part of the body
that travels through the bloodstream to
reach its target cells in another part of the
body.
Hormones travel through the bloodstream to
reach its target cells in another part of the
body.

Click on the box.

Click on the in the box for muscle at the top of the page.
9. What allows muscles to contract? Specialized preoteins

Click on the to close the box.

Drag the “Light” to the muscle cells. The muscle cell does not respond to light.
10. What effect does light have on muscle
cells?
Victoria DeBarbieris
Wendi Toledo Delgado
Drag the “Nitric Oxide” to the muscle cells. Causing the muscle cells to relax.
11. What effect does nitric oxide have on
muscle cells?
Drag the “Cytokine/Growth Factor” to the The muscle cell is responding to the cytokine
muscle cells. by diving to make two cells
12. What effect do cytokines/growth factors
have on muscle cells?
Drag the “Hormone” to the muscle cells. It takes nutrients from a nearby blood vessel.
13. What effect do hormones have on muscle
cells?

Click on the box.

Click on the in the box for the photoreceptor at the top of the page.

14. Where are the photoreceptors located? They are located in the retina of the eye.

Click on the to close the box.

Drag the “Light” to the photoreceptor cells. Photoreceptor generate a signal, signal
15. What effect does light have on the travels to neighboring cell which is part of a
photoreceptor cells? relay chain that ends in the visual part of the
brain.
16. Where does the photoreceptor signal end The signal ends up in the visual center of the
up? brain.
Drag the “Nitric Oxide” to the photoreceptor Causes the photoreceptor to go through light
cells. adaptation.
17. What effect does nitric oxide have on
photoreceptors cells?
18. When is light adaptation useful? It is useful when going from a dark room to a
brightly lit area to help the eyes adjust.
Drag the “Cytokine/Growth Factor” to the Does not respond to this particular cytokine.
photoreceptor cells.
19. What effect do cytokines/growth factors
have on photoreceptor cells?
Drag the “Hormone” to the photoreceptor Hormones do not react with the
cells. photoreceptor cells.
20. What effect do hormones have on
photoreceptor cells?

Click on the box.

Click on the in the box for the fibroblasts at the top of the page.
Victoria DeBarbieris
Wendi Toledo Delgado

21. What is the function of fibroblasts? Main job is to build and maintain the
structural framework of tissues throughout
the body.

Click on the to close the box.

Drag the “Light” to the fibroblast cells. The fibroblast does not react to light.
22. What effect does light have on fibroblast
cells?
Drag the “Nitric Oxide” to the fibroblast cells. Causing the cell to differentiate or become
23. What effect does nitric oxide have on another cell type.
fibroblast cells?
24. In THIS simulation what type of cell does It turns into a myofibroblast, similar to a
the fibroblast turn into? muscle cell.
Drag the “Cytokine/Growth Factor” to the Responding by dividing and moving.
fibroblast cells.
25. What effect do cytokines/growth factors
have on fibroblast cells?
Drag the “Hormone” to the photoreceptor The hormones cause it to produce and
cells. release proteins.
26. What effect do hormones have on
photoreceptor cells?
27. What is the significance of the released The proteins will form a glue in the tissue
protein? making the cells stick together.

Click on the box.

Click on the in the box for cancer cells at the top of the page.

28. What is the cause of skin cancer?
Click on the to close the box.
29. What effect does UV radiation have on a
cell’s DNA?
a. What can DNA damage lead to?
30. What is the overall effect on the cancer
cells in the simulation? What results?
Drag the “Nitric Oxide” to the cancer cells.
31. What effect does nitric oxide have on
cancer cells?
Skin cancer occurs when a normal skin cell
undergoes genetic changes that alter its
behavior.
Effects it can have are mutations in the dna,
dna damage can lead a cancer cell to divide
rapidly.
Overall, what happens is the mutation in the
genes are causing the cancer to grow and
divide rapidly.
Initiates cell death.
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Wendi Toledo Delgado
Drag the “Cytokine/Growth Factor” to the
cancer cells.
32. What effect do cytokines/growth factors
have on cancer cells?
a. Is the effect of cytokine/growth
factors in cancer cells a “good” thing?
Why or why not?
Drag the “Hormone” to the cancer cells.
33. What effect do hormones have on cancer
cells?
a. Is the effect of hormones on cancer
cells a “good” thing? What or why
not?
The cell is responding by growing and
dividing rapidly. The effect of
cytokine/growth factors in cancer cells is not
a “good” thing because cancer will eat up all
the good cells, so you wouldn’t want it to be
able to reproduce quickly.
The cancer cell will become unstuck from its
neighbors and migrate. The effect of
hormones on cancer cells is not a good thing
because it will enter a nearby blood vessel
and invade another tissue in the body.

Navigate back to the original page. AN EXAMPLE OF CELL COMMUNICATION

Click on THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE then watch the video that’s linked there. Then, click
on HOW CELLS COMMUNICATE DURING THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE and use the
information from BOTH pages to complete the task below:
1. Watch the video and take notes on what is happening with respect to Cellular
Communication during a flight or fight response. Then, create a flow chart depicting
these events. You can insert squares, bubbles, circles etc. to complete this part.
Victoria DeBarbieris
Wendi Toledo Delgado

Signals from
our
environment
are first
When the detected by
signaling
molecule reaches A signal received by
the heart, it the brain can be
causes the heart passed on to many
to beat faster, other types of cells
throughout the body,
starting with the

These signals can

result in the
contraction or the
relaxation of certain
muscles, the raising of
hair, the production of
Once a signaling
molecule from the
bloodstream reaches a
cell and docs, the signal
is passed into the cell.
This signal causes a