Target cell — Science definition
Defined in 2 courses:
- A cell carrying the receptor for a particular hormone, which is how a message broadcast to the whole bloodstream is acted on only where it matters. (Life Science & Scientific Inquiry)
- A cell with machinery that can respond to a signal. (Life Science: Biology)
Where it is taught
- Homeostasis, Feedback & Interacting Systems — Coordination, Defense & Reproduction, Life Science & Scientific Inquiry, Grade 7
- Cell Signals & Feedback — Body Systems, Signals & Homeostasis, Life Science: Biology, Grade 10
In use
Hormones are slower than nerve signals and they reach everywhere, which sounds imprecise until you see how the specificity is achieved: a hormone only affects a target cell that carries a receptor for it.
Homeostasis, Feedback & Interacting Systems
A signal can bind a receptor and trigger changes inside a target cell, such as enzyme activity or gene expression.
Cell Signals & Feedback