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Downstream Pathway Activation

Meaning

Downstream pathway activation is the sequence of intracellular biochemical events that occurs after a hormone or other signaling molecule successfully binds to its specific receptor on or within a target cell. This process represents the critical execution phase of the signal, converting the external chemical message into a specific, measurable biological action, such as gene expression, enzyme activity modification, or cellular proliferation. The magnitude and duration of the resulting biological effect are directly dependent on the fidelity and robustness of this intracellular activation cascade.