10. Genome and chromosomal abnormalities in cancer

Question 1

What are cyclins?

Answer 1

These are a family of proteins that control the progression of cells through the cell cycle by activation cyclin-dependent (cdk) enyzymes

Question 2

Where are the different cell cycle checkpoints and what are checked here?

Answer 2

G1 - integrity of the DNA
G2 - proper chromosome duplication
M - attachment to spindle fibres

Question 3

What might happen following cell cycle arrest?

Answer 3

DNA repair
Cell death
Checkpoint adaptation without DNA repair

Question 4

What is a chromosomal aberration?

Answer 4

A change in the chromosome structure

Question 5

What is a genomic aberration?

Answer 5

Change in the number of chromosomes

Question 6

What is meant by polyploidy?

Answer 6

Polyploid cells are those that contain more than two paired (homologous) chromosomes

Question 7

What is aneuploid?

Answer 7

The loss of chromosomes

Question 8

What is euploid?

Answer 8

Gain of one or more complete sets of chromosomes