Apoptosis

Question 1

What is Apoptosis?

Answer 1

The programmed death of a cell. If a cell begins to malfunction or become damaged or unnecessary than it receives instructions to active apoptosis.

Question 2

What are the two types of apoptosis?

Answer 2

Death Receptor Pathway or the Mitochondrial pathway

Question 3

Explain the Death Receptor Pathway

Answer 3

Immune cells will death signalling molecules, which then get recepted by proteins located on the surface of the cell. Which when received activates caspase enzymes, initiating apoptosis.

Question 4

Explain The Mitochondrial Pathway

Answer 4

When internal components ( DNA ) are damaged, the mitochondria detects this damage and releases cytochrome C into the cytosol. Which then binds with cytosolic proteins which activate caspase enzymes, initiating apoptosis.

Question 5

What are blebbing and apoptotic bodies?

Answer 5

Bulging of the plasma membrane to create apoptotic bodies which are vesicles that contain cell contents which are released from a dying cell. They are developed by phagocytes.

Question 6

Stages of Apoptosis

Answer 6

1. Activation of Caspases
2. Digestion of Cell Components - caspases splits/separates intracellular proteins proteins which leads to the breakdown of organelles.
3. Cell shrinks - The cell and nucleus shrink as intracellular material is broken down.
4. Membrane Blebbing & Breaking - as the cytoskeleton is digested, the structure of the cell wall is weakened, which leads to the membrane warping and detaching from the cell in apoptotic bodies.

Question 7

What causes Cancer and Default Apoptosis

Answer 7

When a cells apoptosis is decreased which reduces the ability for cell death, leaving exponential cell growth resulting in tumors.

Question 8

What are the two types of tumors?

Answer 8

Benign Tumors - Lacks the ability to spread throughout other organs and tissue.
Malignant Tumors - abnormal cells with the ability to invade nearby tissue and migrate to other parts of the body. (Cancerous Cells)