Cells must communicate to coordinate their activities, respond to their environment, and build complex multicellular organisms. This communication happens through chemical signaling molecules that travel between cells and bind to specific receptors.
Signals pass directly between adjacent cells through physical connections.
Cells release signals that diffuse to nearby neighbors within a local tissue region.
Signals travel through circulatory systems or environments to reach distant target cells.
These simulations demonstrate the physical principles behind each signaling mode - how molecules move, how gradients form, and how cells detect and respond to chemical information in their environment.