How Do Cells Communicate?

Who could even imagine that one of the tiniest parts of our body could be responsible for everything that we are today? Yes, I am talking about the cells of our body. Although many of us overlook the cells, they perform one of the most important functions in the body- communication. Cells constantly communicate with each other to give cues to our system for performing respective physiological responses.

It is because of the intra-cellular communication that we are able to figure out the need to pee or that we are cold or that our body temperature is more than normal and much more. However, have you ever wondered how do cells do this? How do they communicate? It’s time we understand our body better.

Let’s see how cells communicate!

Simply put, cells communicate using chemical signals. And what are chemical signals? They could either be molecules or proteins which are specifically produced by the sender cell. These signaling molecules are termed as ligands. These ligands are pushed into the extracellular space where they stay afloat in the carrier mediums until they find a suitable receptor. And the cell which possesses that receptor is referred as a target cell.

After the ligand finds its receptor, it enters the cell and is released into the cell where it is relayed between different chemical messengers inside the cells. This is when the intercell communication gets converted into intracell communication which ultimately triggers a desired response in the body.

What Happens When The Communication Between Cells Is Hampered?

Let’s see three of the six reasons for miscommunication between the cells:

1. The Signal Doesn’t Reach Its Target Cell

This happens when neurodegeneration occurs. The wrappings around the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord are destroyed which disables the signal transmission from the sender cell. The target cells don’t receive any signal which leads to neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.

1. Loss of Signal Molecules

Insulin is a signal from the pancreas to start absorbing sugar from the food and process it. Now, when the sender cells stop producing insulin signals, sugar remains in the bloodstream causing Diabetes Type I.

1. When The Target Cell Receives The Signal But Ignores It

Type II diabetes; on the other hand, is caused because the target cells are not able to respond to the insulin signals sent by the sender cell. This eventually increases the blood sugar levels drastically.

There are several other reasons for weakened cell communication like excitotoxicity, multiple breakdowns of signals, etc. It is essential to maintain cellular health for a healthy communication. I recently bought a CBD starter kit from a producer named Green Roads which has been a great experience for me. It had some of the best CBD supplements including CBD hemp edibles whose consumption has sort of becoming my routine. You can try their CBD supplement capsules to see if you feel any different!