90

7.4

Exercises for Chap. 7

Task 7.1

Encoding signals: How many bits are in a message that encodes the number seven with

dual numbers?

Task 7.2

How many bits do I need to represent the number one thousand (1000) as a bit?

Task 7.3

Of course you can do this with a nice webtool, can you find one?

Task 7.4

How many bits does a word have, e.g. the word “WORD”?

Task 7.5

How many bits does a biological word have?

So we are already in the middle of biology and the tasks and problems in the cell:

Task 7.6

How does a signal reach its receiver safely despite the loud noise in the cell? Put together

some examples that are biologically exciting (e.g. from this chapter/book).

Task 7.7

Calculation of the amplification of a signalling cascade: The Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk cascade

amplifies the cellular signal by a factor of ten at a time. What happens when the receptor

activates a Ras molecule?

Task 7.8

Importance of the Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk cascade: Give a biological example of what this sig­

nal is important for. Also tell what can go wrong in the process.

Task 7.9

Set up the differential equation of the Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk cascade.

Task 7.10

What mathematical models of protein kinase signal transduction do they know?

Task 7.11

How does a metabolic signal safely reach its location? Put together important factors

for this.

7  How to Better Understand Signal Cascades and Measure the Encoded Information