A prostaglandin is a member of a family of locally acting lipid-derived signalling molecules, typically with a five-membered carbon ring and two side chains. Differences in oxidation and double-bond arrangement distinguish related members.
Their structures show why stereochemistry matters in biological signalling: spatially different groups interact differently with enzymes and receptors. The term names a chemical family, not one universally interchangeable signal. Their comparatively local formation and action also distinguish a generic prostaglandin description from the behaviour of any one named physiological messenger.
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