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What is Cell Regulation?

Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden

Cell regulation is a broad term used to describe the many processes that occur within a cell that are aimed at maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis is a balanced condition in which cell avoids harmful extremes of any form through various active or passive regulatory processes. Regulation processes moderate everything from the growth and replication rates of cells to the salt levels and acidity of the cellular environment. If cell growth and replication are not moderated, cells may replicate at an uncontrollably high rate; this condition is called cancer.

A great deal of cell regulation takes place at the genetic level. Many different genes are expressed or repressed in response to environmental triggers in order to maintain the cell's homeostasis. Various proteins are able to bind to certain segments of RNA or DNA, which contain the genetic information used in gene expression, in order to repress, induce, or enhance the expression of a given gene. Genes are expressed through the production of proteins. E. Coli, for example, expresses a different set of genes by producing an abnormal set of proteins when it is exposed to high heat levels; these proteins better allow it to maintain some form of homeostasis in the case of "heat shock."

A cell dividing into two daughter cells.
A cell dividing into two daughter cells.

Cellular signaling is a highly important aspect of the study of cell regulation because most of the regulatory processes within a cell are a response to some form of signal. Changes in a cell's environment may cause signaling proteins or chemicals to bind to signal receptors in order to indicate the need for some form of regulatory response. Cells even communicate with other cells to prepare them for changes in the cellular environment. Communication that results in cell regulation may occur within a cell, between adjacent or touching cells, or even between distant cells. Endocrine cells, for example, are specialized cells that send chemical signals to various parts of the body in order to communicate the need for various cell regulation actions.

Normal cells undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
Normal cells undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

Many different diseases and disorders are caused by a breakdown of cell regulation processes. Cancer is caused when a cell's growth and replication are not properly regulated. Normal cells undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death; cancerous cells do not, so they can replicate and grow indefinitely. Autoimmune disorders are also a result of failed cell regulation and signaling. Such disorders occur when the immune system fails to recognize a cell as "self" and launches an inappropriate immune attack on the harmless cell or cells.

Discussion Comments

lighth0se33

I am currently undergoing chemotherapy. My doctor told me that it will kill the cancer cells that refuse to be regulated by the body.

The only downside is that the drugs cannot tell a regular cell apart from a cancer cell. So, it kills all the cells that grow rapidly. These also include my blood cells and hair cells.

Because of this, my hair has fallen out, and I wear a wig. I have become anemic, and I am at risk for getting infections. I bruise easily, and I bleed more than usual when I get injured.

It's terrible to know that chemotherapy is killing a part of me that is good along with the bad cells. Regardless, I feel like it is my only hope for survival.

shell4life

@StarJo – Cancer is indeed a bully. It is hard for the weakened little body to stand up against this giant.

My aunt got breast cancer when she was only forty. Her abnormal cells continued to grow until they had formed a tumor.

By the time the doctor found the lump of cancer cells, it had spread to her other organs. She received treatment, but in the end, it wasn't enough.

Scientists would change the world if they could come up with a cancer vaccine. If we could prevent these cells from ever forming, no one would have to battle this bully.

StarJo

I never knew that cells had a programmed date to die. I wondered how the body got rid of them, because they are always reproducing, and it would have to run out of room for new ones at some point.

It seems like the human body has a good system in place for cell regulation. Normally, it's just one of those things that takes place while we have no knowledge that it is going on. We go about our daily lives, only noticing our cell activity when something is wrong.

Cancer cells are like the monsters of our nightmares; they don't die, and they continue to reproduce. It is my dream that scientists will discover a cure for cancer during my lifetime. I would love nothing more than to see an end to this bully.

Perdido

I suffer from lupus. My body attacks its own cells, because it can't tell them apart from invaders.

My joints hurt often, and all I can do is take ibuprofen. I was taking corticosteroids for awhile, but you can't take those for long, because they can do more harm than good if used over long periods.

My disease progressed to the point that I needed immunosuppressants. Because I am on them, I have a greater risk of getting sick, and I have to avoid my friends if they have so much as a cold.

It's really hard when your own body makes you miserable. There's no cure for it. It's just something I was born with.

vogueknit17

So many different illnesses can affect cell cycle regulation, especially things like nutrient deficiencies. I went to the doctor awhile ago because I was feeling sick and didn't know why, and was tested for multiple deficiencies and other problems. Apparently things like anemia are more common than we think, and some can make you really sick really quickly.

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    • A cell dividing into two daughter cells.
      By: Luk Cox
      A cell dividing into two daughter cells.
    • Normal cells undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
      By: designua
      Normal cells undergo apoptosis, or programmed cell death.