biology

Integrin beta 4

Integrin beta 4 is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Integrin beta 4 rather than just read about it. In short: Integrin, beta 4 (ITGB4) also known as CD104 (Cluster of Differentiation 104), is a human gene. Function Integrins are heterodimers composed of alpha and beta subunits, that are noncovalently associated transmembrane glycoprotein receptors.

Key takeaways

Integrin beta 4 belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Integrin beta 4 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Integrin beta 4 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Integrin, beta 4 (ITGB4) also known as CD104 (Cluster of Differentiation 104), is a human gene.

Function Integrins are heterodimers composed of alpha and beta subunits, that are noncovalently associated transmembrane glycoprotein receptors. Different combinations of alpha and beta polypeptides form complexes that vary in their ligand-binding specificities. Integrins mediate cell-matrix or cell-cell adhesion, and transduced signals that regulate gene expression and cell growth. This gene encodes the integrin beta 4 subunit, a receptor for the laminins. This subunit tends to associate with alpha 6 subunit and is likely to play a pivotal role in the biology of invasive carcinoma. Mutations in this gene are associated with epidermolysis bullosa with pyloric atresia. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been found for this gene.

Interactions ITGB4 has been shown to interact with Collagen, type XVII, alpha 1, EIF6 and Erbin.

See also Cluster of differentiation List of target antigens in pemphigoid

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Integrin beta 4

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Integrin beta 4 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Integrin beta 4 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Integrin beta 4 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Integrin beta 4

In research: Integrin beta 4 appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Integrin beta 4 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Integrin beta 4 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Clusters of differentiation, Genes on human chromosome 17, Integrins, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Integrin beta 4 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Integrin beta 4 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Integrin beta 4 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Integrin beta 4 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Integrin beta 4 in simple terms?

Integrin, beta 4 (ITGB4) also known as CD104 (Cluster of Differentiation 104), is a human gene. Function Integrins are heterodimers composed of alpha and beta subunits, that are noncovalently associated transmembrane glycoprotein receptors.

Why does Integrin beta 4 matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Integrin beta 4?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Integrin beta 4.