Paracrine signaling is a form of cell signaling in which the target cell is near ("para" = near) the signal-releasing cell. A distinction is sometimes made between paracrine and autocrine signaling. Both affect neighboring cells, but whereas autocrine signaling occurs among the same types of cells, paracrine signaling affects other types of (adjacent) cells. Local action Some signaling molecules degrade very quickly, limiting the scope of their effectiveness to the immediate surroundings. Others… (More on Paracrine)