Hormones let distant cells communicate, and signal transduction is how a target cell converts that message into an internal response. This course introduces the major classes of hormones and how they interact with the cell membrane, then works through G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling in detail: G-protein structure, the second messenger cAMP, protein kinase A, and how beta-adrenergic receptor signaling is switched off. You'll then cover receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, including the insulin receptor and GLUT-4, and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway, before turning to nuclear hormone receptors and steroid hormone signaling, and non-hormone signaling in nerve transmission. The course closes with signal transduction in disease, covering oncogenes, RAS and SRC mutations, HER2 and the Philadelphia chromosome, and how tyrosine kinase inhibitors are used to treat the cancers these pathways cause.

Hormones and Signal Transduction

Hormones and Signal Transduction
This course is part of Biochemistry for Science & Health Careers Specialization

Instructor: Kevin Ahern, PhD
Access provided by Georgetown University
What you'll learn
Explain G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and the role of second messengers
Describe receptor tyrosine kinase signaling, including the insulin receptor and EGFR
Explain nuclear hormone receptor and steroid hormone signaling
Describe how mutations in signaling pathways such as RAS and HER2 contribute to cancer
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September 2026
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