Cytokines

Question 1

What is a cytokine?

Answer 1

Small protein, signalling molecule

Question 2

What is an autocrine action?

Answer 2

Sending intracellular signals using cytokines.

Question 3

What is a paracrine action?

Answer 3

Cell signalling to adjacent cell using cytokines

Question 4

What is endocrine action?

Answer 4

Signal from cell is passed through a transport system towards target cell(s)

Question 5

What is the idea of pleiotropy?

Answer 5

Cytokine has different effect on different target cells.

Question 6

What actions can be taken from cytokines?

Answer 6

Proliferation, activation etc

Question 7

What do macrophages do when they sense microbial products?

Answer 7

Send variety of cytokines to initiate innate defence.

Question 8

Can cytokines affect gene transcription through dimerization?

Answer 8

Yes, phosphorylated STATS are produced as a result and initiates transcription.

Question 9

What is the main role of chemokines?

Answer 9

To attract specific cell types

Question 10

Do cytokines require receptors to function?

Answer 10

Yes