Webb Sarah E, Miller Andrew L
Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, PRC.
Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2003 Jul;4(7):539-51. doi: 10.1038/nrm1149.
Consider a hypothetical design specification for an integrated communication-control system within an embryo. It would require short-range (subcellular) and long-range (pan-embryonic) abilities, it would have to be flexible and, at the same time, robust enough to operate in a dynamically changing environment without information being lost or misinterpreted. Although many signalling elements appear, disappear and sometimes reappear during development, it is becoming clear that embryos also depend on a ubiquitous, persistent and highly versatile signalling system that is based around a single messenger, Ca2+.
设想一个胚胎内集成通信控制系统的假设设计规范。它需要具备短程（亚细胞）和长程（全胚胎）能力，必须灵活，同时足够稳健，以便在动态变化的环境中运行而不丢失或误解信息。尽管在发育过程中许多信号元件会出现、消失，有时还会重新出现，但越来越明显的是，胚胎还依赖于一个基于单一信使Ca2+的普遍存在、持久且高度通用的信号系统。
