Final answer:
Signal amplification is the process through which each member of a signaling pathway can activate thousands of the next member, enabling a large intracellular response from a small number of surface receptors. This, along with signal integration, where multiple external stimuli influence the cell response, constitutes key features of cellular signaling pathways in different cell types.
Step-by-step explanation:
A small number of surface receptors can ultimately generate a large intracellular response, as each step of the pathway is often expanded by signal amplification. In the context of cell signaling, signal amplification is a process where each member of the signaling pathway can activate thousands of the next member in the pathway, leading to a substantial increase in the signal strength from the original receptor-ligand interaction. This means that even a small number of receptors can produce a large cell response when the signal is amplified at each subsequent step.
Different cell types can have receptors for the same effector molecule and respond differently due to the specific protein expression in those cell types. Signal integration is another aspect of cell signaling, where multiple signals from different cell-surface receptors can merge to generate a singular response, ensuring that the cell only commits to a specific reaction once various external stimuli are satisfied.