Crosstalk

Crosstalk is a term used in science and engineering to refer to any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel. In biology, crosstalk refers to instances where one or more components of a signal transduction pathway affects another pathway.

Overview

In telecommunications, crosstalk is often distinguishable as pieces of speech or in-band signaling tones leaking from other people's connections. If the connection is analog, twisted pair cabling can often be used to reduce crosstalk. Crosstalk is also a major issue in structured cabling, audio electronics, integrated circuit design, wireless communication and other contexts.

In biology, crosstalk is a form of communication between different cell signaling pathways. This communication can be positive (amplifying) or negative (dampening), depending on the function of the pathway.

In Telecommunications

Crosstalk in telecommunications is a disturbance caused by the electric or magnetic fields of one telecommunication signal affecting a signal in an adjacent circuit. This can result in degraded performance as the communication signal is then a mixture of the desired signal and the crosstalk signal.

In Biology

In biology, crosstalk occurs primarily between proteins or other factors in signal transduction pathways. This can occur through a variety of mechanisms, including direct protein-protein interactions, changes in gene expression, or competition for common signaling components.

See Also

• Signal transduction
• Telecommunication
• Integrated circuit

Crosstalk Resources
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