Cancer

Question 1

What are tumour suppressor genes?

Answer 1

genes that produce proteins to slow cell division and cause cell death if DNA copying errors are detected

Question 2

What happens if a mutation occurs in tumour suppressor genes?

Answer 2

cell division will continue and mutated cells will not be detected and destroyed

Question 3

What is an example of a mutation in tumour suppressor genes?

Answer 3

BRCA 1 and BRCA 2

Question 4

What is hypermethylation?

Answer 4

increased number of methyl groups added

Question 5

How might hypermethylation impact tumour suppressor genes?

Answer 5

cause them to tightly coil so would be inactivated (so it will not control mitosis or cause cell death)

Question 6

What is hypomethylation?

Answer 6

a decrease in the number of methyl groups added

Question 7

What are oncogenes?

Answer 7

genes that produce proteins that result in mitosis occurring

Question 8

Why might hypomethylation lead to cancer?

Answer 8

oncogenes are turned on continually so mitosis is happening even when it is not needed

Question 9

How might a BRCA mutation lead to cancer?

Answer 9

change in DNA sequence
change in tertiary structure
uncontrolled cell growth