Question

Suggest 2 different types of effectors and give an example of what they do...

Answer 1

Effectors like muscles and glands play different roles in the body's responses to stimuli. Muscles can contract, controlling functions like heartbeat and digestion, while glands secrete substances needed for various processes. Second messengers such as cAMP are central in cell signaling, affecting numerous cellular functions including gene activation and neuron communication.

Step-by-step explanation:

Two different types of effectors in the body are muscles and glands. For instance, muscles serve as effectors when they contract. An example of this is the contraction of the heart or the involuntary peristaltic movements in the digestive system that push food through. When it comes to glands, they act as effectors by secreting hormones or other substances, such as sweat glands that help regulate body temperature.

Additionally, the role of second messengers in cellular communication highlights the complexity of effector functions. For example, enzymes such as adenylate cyclase produce cAMP, which serves as a second messenger to activate other enzymes in a cell and can lead to a variety of responses like gene activation or the modification of ion channels. This is particularly important in neurons, where it can affect synaptic strength and contribute to learning and memory processes.

Answer 2

Effectors in biological systems include muscles that contract like the heart during blood pumping or the digestive tract muscles during peristalsis, and glands that secrete substances. On a cellular level, enzymes such as adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C act as effectors, producing second messengers which lead to changes within the cell.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to effectors which are components in biological systems that respond to signals from the control center to maintain homeostasis. An effector can either be a muscle that contracts or relaxes or a gland that secretes to bring about a change. In the context of muscle function, the contraction of the heart muscle is an example where the heart muscle acts as an effector to pump blood throughout the body. Another type is peristalsis, which is the series of muscle contractions in the digestive tract that moves food along. Voluntary skeletal muscle contractions also serve as effectors, enabling bodily movements such as eye motion or walking.

In terms of cellular response, adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C are examples of effector proteins that create second messengers like cAMP and IP3. These messengers then provoke metabolic changes within the cell, such as opening or closing ion channels or activating gene expression in the nucleus, which may be crucial for learning and memory, especially in neurons.