Question

How do carbohydrates serve as cellular signaling molecules?

a. Glucose serves as a second messenger in the tyrosine kinase pathway.
b. Carbohydrate chains in glycoproteins facilitate cellular recognition.
c. Glycogen serves as a hormone that triggers glucose release from the liver.
d. Carbohydrate chains conduct action potentials between adjacent neurons.
e. Fructose can serve as an inhibitory neurotransmitter

Answer 1

Carbohydrates serve as cellular signaling molecules by facilitating cellular recognition and acting as receptors for signaling molecules on the cell surface.

Step-by-step explanation:

Carbohydrate chains in glycoproteins facilitate cellular recognition. This means that carbohydrates attached to proteins on the cell surface can help the cell recognize and communicate with other cells. For example, the ABO blood type system is determined by the presence of specific carbohydrate chains on the surface of red blood cells.

Carbohydrate chains also play a role in cell signaling. They can act as receptors for signaling molecules, allowing them to bind to the cell surface and initiate a signaling cascade. This happens, for example, in the insulin signaling pathway, where insulin binds to carbohydrate chains on cell surface receptors.

Overall, carbohydrates serve as cellular signaling molecules by facilitating cellular recognition and acting as receptors for signaling molecules on the cell surface.