Cell Adaptation Flashcards
What types of cell to cell signalling largely control cell proliferation?
In the microenvironment
Autocrine
Paracrine
Direct cell to cell or cell to stroma contact
What genes regulate normal cell proliferation?
Proto-oncogenes
What are growth factors?
Chemical mediators involved locally in cell proliferation. They are polypeptides which act on cell surface receptors and coded by proto-oncogenes.
Affect cell proliferation, inhibition, locomotion and contractability.
What is the function of epidermal growth factor?
Mitogenic for epidermal cells.
What produces epidermal growth factor?
Keratinocytes
Macrophages
Inflammatory cells
What is the function of V-EGF
Stimulates vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.
What is the function of platelet-derived growth factor?
Stimulates the migration and proliferation of fibroblasts, smooth muscle and monocytes.
What produces platelet derived growth factor?
Alpha granules of platelets Macrophages Endothelial cells Smooth muscle Tumour cells
What is the function of G-CSF?
Promotes granulocyte production in the bone marrow.
Give a clinical application of G-CSF.
Treat poorly functioning bone marrow, such as when undergoing chemotherapy.
What is the difference between mitosis and cytokinesis?
Mitosis - nuclear division
Cytokinesis - cellular division
Briefly describe the four stages of the cell cycle.
G1 - cell growth, presynthetic
S - synthesis of DNA
G2 - premitotic, cell prepares to divide
M - mitosis. The only distinctive stage under a light microscope.
What is a particularly important check point in the cell cycle?
Restriction point - most cells which pass this will enter the cell cycle.
Most commonly changed in cancer cells.
Describe the role of p53 in the cell cycle.
Produced when a check point is activated. Suspends the cell cycle and triggers DNA repair, but pushes the cell into apoptosis if this doesn’t work.
What two types of molecule are especially important for controlling the cell cycle and why?
Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase.
CDK works on it’s substrate when cyclin is bound, such as retinoblastoma susceptability protein.
How do growth factors affect the cell cycle?
Can increase it’s rate or activate quiescent cells by increasing cyclin production or decreasing CDK inhibitors.
Describe labile cells.
Short lived.
Stem cells divide persistently to repair losses.
Give an example of where labile cells can be found.
Epithelia of the gut
Bone marrow
Skin
Describe stable cells.
Stem cells which are normally quiescent or divide very slowly.
They proliferate persistently when regeneration is needed.
Occurs in organs with slow turnover.
Give an example of where labile cells can be found.
Hepatocytes
Bone
Describe permanent cells.
Undergo terminal differentiation.
Stem cells are unable to mount an effective proliferative response.
Give an example of where permanent cells can be found.
Brain neurons
Cardiac muscle
Skeletal muscles
If neurons in the brain die, how does the body fill the space?
Proliferation of glial cells.
Explain what is meant by asymmetrical replication in stem cells.
They can divide to produce one stem cell and one differentiated cell.
What is the difference between adult-type and embryonic stem cells?
Adult can only divide into one or a few cell types whereas embryonic are pluripotent
Describe the meaning of regeneration.
Replacement of cell losses by identical cells to maintain the tissue or organ size.
Describe what determines whether a scar forms when there is tissue damage.
If the harmful agent is removed, there is a small amount of tissue damage and it is in labile or stable cells there can be resolution with minimal or no scarring.
If the agent persists, there is extensive damage or it is in permanent cells, scarring will occur.