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Larry and the Legend of the Ligand Key
  • 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.

  • Technically Correct
  • I fucking hate that this is a thing. "We can't stop doing this useless and/or detrimental thing, look at all the work it makes for other people to do!!!" Absolutely bonkers that it's just a standard political argument.

  • InitialsDiceBearhttps://github.com/dicebear/dicebearhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/„Initials” (https://github.com/dicebear/dicebear) by „DiceBear”, licensed under „CC0 1.0” (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)AL
    AltheaHunter @lemmy.blahaj.zone

    she/her

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