Intercellular communication

Abstract

It seems clear that the various pattern forming and morphogenetic processes referred to in previous chapters, since they involve cellular interactions, necessitate some form of communication between individual cells. In order to participate in these processes, a cell must ‘know’ something about the behaviour of its neighbours, so that its own behaviour may be co-ordinated with their’s. Some suggested mechanisms for intercellular communication have already been mentioned, particularly when they have been put forward in relation to specific processes. Here we shall consider three more which may be of general importance.