The locksmith's secret language
Digital fortresses and code
Nature's ultimate gatekeepers
Gatekeepers of myth and history
007skaty A selective phospholipid bilayer membrane controls what enters every living cell.
007skaty The Nuclear Pore Complex
A thousand cargos pass the gate each second (Each second!) / You need a signal key to slide on through (To slide on through!)
007skaty Match the master keys to mental locks to learn how your brain processes information.
007skaty While small molecules like oxygen and water cross the semi-permeable membrane freely, larger charged molecules require specialized transport proteins to enter
What is the primary structural component of the cell membrane that acts as a barrier?
007skaty Host cells accidentally open their gates when viral proteins bind to surface receptors
Which human cell receptor does the SARS-CoV-2 virus target to unlock and enter cells?
Water channels: The cell membrane uses specialized channels called aquaporins that allow up to three billion water molecules to pass through per second, one by one.
Approximately what percentage of small-molecule drugs are blocked by the blood-brain barrier?
A neuropeptide hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating reproductive function and initiating the onset of puberty. In 2003, scientists discovered that mutations in the GPR54 receptor block the hormone, halting human sexual maturation.
What is the name of the massive protein structure that guards the entrance to the cell's nucleus?
Which helper protein acts as a chaperone key to guide cargo through the nuclear pore complex?