Cells have millions of noses on their outsides that are called receptors. They communicate by releasing proteins that carry information, called cytokines. When a cell smells cytokines with their receptors (noses), they trigger pathways inside the cell that change their gene expression and therefore the behavior of the cell. So cells can react to information without being conscious or having the ability to think, guided by the biochemistry of life. This enables them to do pretty smart things even though they are technically very stupid. Some cytokines do also function as a navigation system—an
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