Cell Signaling

Cell Signaling - part of a complex system of communication that governs cellular activities and coordinates cell actions. The ability of cells to perceive and correctly respond to their microenvironment is the basis of development, tissue repair, and immunity as well as normal tissue homeostasis. Errors in cellular information processing are responsible for diseases. By understanding cell signaling, diseases can be treated and artificial tissue could potentially be built. Types of cell signaling include: cell-to-cell and gap junctions.

Passive Transport - moving of biochemicals and other atomic or molecular substances across membranes. Unlike active transport, this process does not involve chemical energy. Passive transport is dependent on the permeability of the cell membrane, which, in turn, is dependent on the organization and characteristics of the membrane lipids and proteins. The four main kinds of passive transport are diffusion, facilitated diffusion, filtration and osmosis.





Continuous Spatial Automata - Have a continuum of locations. The state of a location is a finite number of real numbers. Time is also continuous, and the state evolves according to differential equations. One important example is reaction-diffusion textures, differential equations proposed by Alan Turing to explain how chemical reactions could create the stripes on zebras and spots on leopards.[citation needed] When these are approximated by CA, such CAs often yield similar patterns. MacLennan [1] considers continuous spatial automata as a model of computation.

Membranes

A cell wall is a fairly rigid layer surrounding a cell, located external to the cell membrane, which provides the cell with structural support, protection, and acts as a filtering mechanism. The cell wall also prevents over-expansion when water enters the cell. They are found in plants, bacteria, archaea, fungi, and algae.

A cell membrane regulates what enters and exists the cell.
Active transport - Requires energy to push particles through the membrane. Passive transport - Occurs spontaneously in order to randomly distribute particles through the system and to achieve equilibrium.

The Metapolis Dictionary For Advanced Architecture defines a Membrane as: a thin layer of organic, elastic and resistant tissue which separate two cavities or envelops an organ.


Molecular structure of the primary cell wall in plants.


Scanning electron micrographs of diatoms showing the external appearance of the cell wall

Another video by Terreform titled FUTURE CITY