Cell Cycle Flashcards
What are the three stages of a cell cycle
Interphase
Nuclear division
Cytokinesis
How long does it take the typical mammal to complete a cell cycle
24 hours
What percentage of this 24 hours is in interphase
90%
What is interphase also known as and why
Resting phase as no division takes place
Why is the name “resting phase” almost wrong
As interphase is a period of intense chemical activity
What is cancer a result of
Damage to the genes that regulate mitosis and the cell cycle
A tumour becomes cancerous if it changes from what to what?
Benign to malignant
Why do cells divide by mitosis
To increase the size of a tissue during development or replace dead or worn out cells
What two things can the rate of mitosis be affected by
The environment of the cell and growth factors
How many genes control mitosis
Two
Describe malignant and benign tumours
Malignant - rapidly growing, less compact and life threatening
Benign opposite
How does cancer treatment disrupt the cell cycle
By preventing DNA from replicating
Inhibiting metaphase by interfering with spindle formation
Why does cancer treatment work even though it affects all cells and not just cancer ones
As it affects rapidly growing ones (cancer) at a greater degree (hair cells are also rapidly producing)
