This document discusses different types of cell signaling: autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine. Autocrine signaling involves cells responding to substances they release, like tumor cells promoting their own growth. Paracrine signaling involves local signaling between nearby cells, like neurotransmitters. Endocrine signaling involves hormones carried by the bloodstream to distant target cells, like epinephrine released from the adrenal glands acting on liver and muscle cells to increase blood glucose and energy during the fight-or-flight response. Examples of each type are provided along with brief histories of cell signaling research.
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