Cellular Regulation/Cancer Flashcards
Growth that causes tissue to increase in size by enlarging each cell
Hypertrophy
Growth that causes tissue to increase in size by increasing the number of cells
Hyperplasia
Any new or continued cell growth not needed for normal development or replacement of dead and damaged tissues
Neoplasia
The feature in which each normal cell type has a distinct and recognizable appearance, size, and shape
Specific Morphology
The nucleus of a normal cell does not take up much space inside the cell
Smaller nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio
Every normal cell has at least one function it performs to contribute to whole-body function
Differentiated function
Normal cells make proteins that protrude from membranes, allowing cells to bind closely and tightly together
Tight adherence
Normal cells that do not wander throughout the body except for blood cells
Nonmigratory
Proteins that promote cell division
Cyclin
Proteins that limit cell division
Suppressor gene products
A balance between cycling and suppressor gene products
Cellular regulation
The cell is getting ready for division by taking extra nutrients, making more energy, and growing extra membrane
G1 phase
The cell doubles its DNA content through DNA synthesis
S phase
The cell makes important proteins that will be used in actual cell division and in normal physiologic function after cell division is complete
G2 phase
The single cell splits apart into two cells. Mitosis
M phase
Stops further rounds of division when the dividing cell is completely surrounded and touched (contacted) by other cells
Contact inhibition
Programmed cell death
Apoptosis
Normal chromosomes in normal cells (23 chromosomes)
Euploidy
Normal cells growing in n the wrong place or at the wrong time as a result of a small problem with cellular regulation
Benign tumor cells
What kind of cell has these characteristics?
- none or slow cell division
- specific morphological features
- smaller nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio
- many differentiated functions
- tight adherence
- nonmigratory
- well regulated growth
- diploid chromosomes
- low mitotic index
Normal cell
What kind of cell has these characteristics?
- continuous or inappropriate cell division
- specific morphology features
- small nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio
- many differentiated functions
- tight adherence
- nonmigratory
- expansive growth
- diploid chromosomes
- low mitotic index
Benign tumor cell
What kind of cell has these characteristics?
- rapid or continuous cell division
- anaplastic appearance
- larger nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio
- some or none differentiated functions
- loose adherence
- migratory
- invasion growth
- aneuploid chromosomes
- high mitotic index
Malignant cell
Cancer cells loss of specific appearance of their parent cells
Anaplasia
Abnormal chromosomes
Aneuploidy
Cancer development
Carcinogenesis/oncogenesis
The first step in carcinogenesis
Initiation
If conditions are right how many cancer cells does it take for a widespread metastatic disease to develop?
1
Substances that change the activity of a cell’s gene so that the cell becomes a cancer cell
Carcinogens
The enhanced growth of an initiated cell
Promotion
Substances that enhance growth of an initiated cell
Promoters
The time between a cell’s initiation and the development of an overt tumor
Latency period
The continued change of a cancer, making it more malignant over time
Progression
When cancer cells move from the primary location by breaking off from the original group and establishing remote colonies
Metastasis
Additional tumors
Secondary tumors
If breast cancer spreads to the lung and the bone, what is it called?
Breast cancer
The most common type of cancer spread travels to distant organs and tissues, requires cancer cells to penetrate blood vessels
Bloodborne metastasis
Classifies cellular aspects of the cancer
Grading
Classifies tumor chromosomes as normal or abnormal
Policy
Classifies clinical aspects of the cancer
Staging
Assess the patient’s clinical manifestations and evaluates them for tumor size and possible spread
Clinical staging
Assess the tumor size, number, sites, and spread by inspection at surgery
Surgical staging
The most definite type, determining the tumor size, number, sites, and spread by inspection at surgery
Pathologic staging
This system is used to describe the anatomical extent of cancers
Tumor, node, metastasis (TNM)
The main mechanism of carcinogenesis regardless of the specific cause
Oncogene activation
When do oncogenes become a problem?
When they are overly expressed as a result of exposure to carcinogenic agents or events with loss of cellular regulation
Give an example of co-carcinogens
Tobacco and alcohol
Where do cancer cells normally arise?
Bone marrow, skin, lining of GI tract, ducal cells of the breast, and lining of lungs
Where does cancer usually not arise?
Nerve tissue, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscle. Places where cell division does not normally occur