CELLS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CANCER Flashcards
what’s the prevalence of cancer in the UK?
1/2 people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime
what is a tumour?
an abnormal growth of tissue that usually but not always forms a mass
simply, when does a tumour arise?
when the balance between cell division and cell differentiation/death is disrupted
which cells can’t become cancerous?
cells that can’t proliferate e.g. erythrocytes
what are the Hallmarks of cancer?
- evading growth suppressors
- avoiding immune destruction
- enabling replicative immortality
- tumour-promoting inflammation
- activating invasion and metastasis
- inducing angiogenesis
- genome instability and mutation
- resisting cell death
- deregulating cellular energetics
- sustaining proliferative signalling
what happens in G1 phase of the cell cycle?
There’s an increase in cell contents and DNA replication machinery
what happens in S phase of the cell cycle?
replication of DNA occurs, chromosomes becomes 2 sister chromatids
what happens in G2 phase of the cell cycle?
The cell prepares for division
which stages of the cell cycle make up interphase?
G1, S and G2
what happens in mitosis?
segregation of chromosomes and a division to produce 2 daughter cells
when are the checkpoints in the cell cycle?
at the end of G1, at the end of G2 and in mitosis (between metaphase and anaphase)
what is the cell cycle length?
it depends on the tissue type
which cell types never divide?
skin cells, erythrocytes, gut cell lining
what regulates the cell cycle?
an enzyme complex of a CDK and a cyclin
what is the cause of all cancers?
the mutation of genes involved in cell proliferation and survival