Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Transducción de la señal
Signal transduction (SIG-nul trans-DUK-shun)
The process by which a cell responds to substances in its environment. The binding of a substance to a molecule on the surface of a cell causes signals to be passed from one molecule to another inside the cell. These signals can affect many functions of the cell, including cell division and cell death. Cells that have permanent changes in signal transduction molecules may develop into cancer.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.