Larry and the Legend of the Ligand Key

Comments

• abfarid@startrek.website ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Halp. Biochemistry is not my strong suit.

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  • AltheaHunter@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    The large purple rectangle is a protein channel across a cell membrane. It’s normally closed, but can be opened by binding to a specific small molecule, which is called a ligand. Different channels have different ligands, and their presence/absence controls whether the channels will open.

    In the cartoon Larry the ligand has been traveling with his friends, who represent the cargo to be transferred through that channel. When they reach the closed channel, Larry uses himself as the “key” to open the channel. Since channels usually only stay open while the ligand is still bound, Larry stays behind to keep the channel open while his friends make their way forward.

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    • stoicmaverick@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      I had the reverse problem, where I’m basically aware of all of the above, but I stared at it for like five straight minutes trying to figure out if there was a deeper joke relating to what the molecules were actually supposed to be, but I think I read too far into it.

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    • abfarid@startrek.website ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Thank you very much!
      I assume that only Larry type molecules were supposed to enter the cell?

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  • stelelor@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    The joke would have worked a lot better if Larry’s friends were different shapes. There’s no visual reason why Larry is the only one that can act as the key.

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  • abbadon420@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    It fits, it sits

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• Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Great, now I have mad cow proteins in my cell

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• Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  What is this? A comic for ANTs?

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• Glitch@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I like this

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• Aquilae@hexbear.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I knew taking bio would be useful at some point

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