∞ generated and posted on 2016.12.23 ∞
Chemical signals generated in the immediate environment of a cell along with responses affecting that immediate environment.
| Local Regulation is a means of controlling functioning (i.e., homeostasis) in only a very small portion of a body typically as involving detection of chemical signals and modification of immediately local chemistry. |
Paracrine signaling is an aspect of cell-to-cell communication that can give rise to a local regulation, that is, in the immediate vicinity of a cell. Interferons, for example, can fall in those these category. Direct contact between cells also results in a local regulation, such as effecting the inhibition of further cell division given sufficient cell crowding.
Cells can also respond to chemical changes in their immediate environments, both adapting physiologically to these changes and, depending on the cell type, responding in a manner that serves to counter the change. An example of the latter is the vasodilation of arterioles resulting in increased blood supplies to tissues that are experiencing, for example, reduced availability of molecular oxygen.
Local regulation specifically is that which occurs other than by means that involves the movement of chemical signals through the blood. That is, movement of signaling molecules give local regulation at best occurs via diffusion. Contrast hormones, which are signaling molecules that are released into the blood to achieve more long range cell-to-cell signaling as well as much more systemic physiological regulation.