Page 137 - The Miracle of Hormones

p to this point, we have examined how cells
communicate among themselves and the
U means by which one cell sends its message to
another. We touched on the functions of these messages
(hormones) and the effects they have on cells. In this
section we will examine how the message carried to the
cell by a hormone is transferred from the cell's mem-
brane to its nucleus. In other words, we will examine the
communication system inside the cell.

The Communications Center in a Cell and
Its Stations

Most of us are familiar with high communications
towers, and many of us have seen television news re-
ports of the opening of such installations. The first
impression that these images leave on our minds is
probably the image of a structure full of antennas and
complicated electrical devices. This idea is not mistak-
en because, in order to understand the technological
devices used in these installations, one must have a
certain engineering expertise in electronics and com-
munications. Besides this, almost all of us believe
that these facilities are now indispensable in ena-
bling us to establish communication with people
in every part of the world. Just think of this: What
would happen if all the communications towers,
with their centers and stations, were to shut
down for a short time? There is no doubt that
this situation would cause great chaos and
anxiety. But, no matter how much material