Biology / Unit 4 Bio 0773 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Direct Signaling via Gap Junctions and Plasmodesmata
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The idea
Gap junctions in animal cells and plasmodesmata in plant cells are direct channels letting small signaling molecules pass between adjacent cells without entering the extracellular space.
In practice
A calcium ion moving through a gap junction lets one cell relay its signaled state directly to its neighbor.
Where people slip
These channels admit only small molecules and ions — proteins and DNA are too large to pass.
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