Biochemical cell signals quantified: Data capacity much lower than expected, scientists find
Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 18:30
in Biology & Nature
Just as cell phones and computers transmit data through electronic networks, the cells of your body send and receive chemical messages through molecular pathways. The term "cell signaling" was coined more than 30 years ago to describe this process. For the first time, scientists have quantified the data capacity of a biochemical signaling pathway and found a surprise -- it's lower than a dial-up modem.