= Prostaglandin
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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