Step 1: Second messengers are small molecules or ions that relay a signal from a receptor on the cell surface to targets inside the cell.
Step 2: cAMP, inositol triphosphate (IP3) and Ca++ are all classic second messengers used in hormone and signal transduction pathways.
Step 3: mRNA carries genetic information for protein synthesis, it does not act as a signaling molecule in a receptor pathway, so it is not a second messenger.