Mechanism
A signal arrives, a receptor answers
The sequence below is the shape of nearly every mechanism described in the research index. It is schematic — an explanatory abstraction rather than a depiction of a measured system — and the specifics differ by receptor family.
Pillar 01
Peptides
Signalling molecules — what each compound is, and what was actually studied. Taught in full below and in the Peptides & Supplements subject.
Explore Peptides →
Pillar 02
Supplements
The evidence behind supplementation, taught to the same sourcing standard.
Education coming soon
Pillar 03
Vitamins & Minerals
Micronutrients and what the trials show — building on the food records already in the nutrition library.
Education coming soon
- 01
Release
A signalling peptide is released and travels to its target tissue.
- 02
Binding
It binds a receptor whose shape recognises that specific sequence.
- 03
Transduction
The receptor changes conformation, activating the G protein bound inside.
- 04
Cascade
Second messengers carry the instruction onward, amplifying it at each step.
Method
What each kind of study can and cannot tell you
The counts throughout the research index are grouped by study design, because design determines what a result is capable of showing. This is standard research methodology, and it is the single most useful thing to hold in mind while reading anything in this category.
In vitro
Cell & tissue models
Shows that an interaction happens under laboratory conditions. It reveals nothing about dose, how a compound moves through the body, or the outcome in a living system.
Animal
Preclinical models
Shows a physiological effect in a living animal, and how that effect changes with dose within that species. These results often translate imperfectly to human physiology.
Human, uncontrolled
Case reports & observational
Describes what happened, without a comparison group. It cannot prove cause and effect, though a pattern across many case reports is itself informative.
Human, controlled
Randomised trials & synthesis
Randomisation and blinding are what separate an effect from an expectation. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses sit at the top of this hierarchy.
The diagram is illustrative and generic. It does not depict any specific compound, receptor, or measured result, and it is not medical advice.