Secondary Messenger Model. Secondary messengers are a component of signal transduction cascades. The activated proteins then participate in a cellular response.
The term second messenger was coined upon the discovery of these substances in order to distinguish them from hormones and other molecules that function outside the cell as first messengers in the transmission of biological information. The hormone causes an increase in blood pressure and the breakdown of glucose for energy. Overall as a small amount of first messenger results in lots of second messenger molecules which in turn activate many enzymes which in turn act on many substrate molecules there is a cascade or amplification effect.
The hormone causes an increase in blood pressure and the breakdown of glucose for energy.
Second messengers are intracellular signaling molecules released by the cell in response to exposure to extracellular signaling molecules the first messengers. There are certain key parts inside the second messenger systems. Formation of camp and cgmp is catalyzed by the enzymes adenylyl cyclase and guanylyl cyclase respectively. The greatest benefit of second messengers is speed and amplification.
