ocat

2. A signaling path where messengers like endocannabinoids or gases travel "backward" from the receiver to the sender.
3. Sutherland’s second messenger that turns into an intestinal flood when the G-protein alpha subunit is stuck in the "on" position.
7. The stable library where the code for every receptor and toxin-target is archived.
9. Specialized free nerve endings stationed at the borders to serve as the sentinels of the "ouch".
10. The uninvited stomach guest that Barry famously drank to prove it was the culprit behind burning craters.
11. The molecular editing that removes genomic interruptions to create messengers like the pain-carrying CGRP.
12. The final tally of drug molecules that survive the hepatic gateway to reach the systemic circulation.
15. The genomic landing pad where a phosphorylated STAT dimer binds to recruit the army of viral defense genes.
19. A calming steroid derived from LDL cholesterol that acts as a neuroprotector for both sexes.
20. The biological power-up that activates workhorses like MLCK to start a muscle squeeze.

1. A form of "neighborhood gossip" where a mediator like Histamine targets nearby cells rather than distant ones.
4. The thick-filament climber that refuses to pull on its Actin partner until it receives a phosphate tag.
5. The process of drafting a working script from the master blueprint to build a cellular defense.
6. A trimeric traffic light that breaks when a comma-shaped bacteria steals its "off" switch.
8. The measurement of a lead actor's maximal performance, often reduced by non-surmountable antagonists.
13. A sensory distortion where the brain interprets the gentlest brush of silk as a scream of pain.
14. The language shift where a sequence of codons becomes a functional protein or a contractile workhorse.
16. A sideways shift on a dose-response curve indicating how much of a molecule is needed for an effect.
17. The mitochondria-rich cell that receives a paracrine signal to begin the stomach's acid rain.
18. The essential shutdown step that, if broken, leads to chronic signaling storms or diseases like hypertension.