Ch. 18 Control of Cell #s and Size, M Phase, Mitosis, Cytokinesis Flashcards
how can body and organ size be determined
cell growth, division, death
what is the most common form of programmed cell death
apoptosis
why is apoptosis necessary
due to body/organ dynamism (constantly having to respond to environment)
what is dynamism controlled by
cell birth and death rates
what process is apoptosis crucial to
sculpting
compare apoptosis and necrosis
- apoptosis: molecular pathways which complete internal degradation leading to engulfment by phagocytic cells (“clean”)
- necrosis: spewing of cellular contents into environment (“messy”)
describe necrosis and when it would occur
physical or chemical damage to cell (esp to plasma membrane) causes all cellular contents to release
what triggers apoptosis
caspase molecules
draw out how apoptosis would would be triggered
main points: initiator procaspase dimerizes, activates, and cleaves into an active form (initiator caspase); this active form would activate executioner procaspases thru cleavage causing caspase cascade leading to apoptosis
describe the initiator procaspase structure
- adaptor binding region
- protease domain which has protease properties
- monomers
how can initiator procaspases be activated
when an apoptotic stimulus signals adaptor molecules to bind to them (dimerizes)
what do we mean by caspase cascade
positive(?) feedback loop of activated caspase molecules which cleave intracellular molecules leading to death
what type of a signal is apoptotic; how does this affect its control
all-or-nothing (i.e. irreversible); tightly controlled and regulated through Bcl2 proteins
describe Bcl2 family of proteins
promoters or inhibitors of cell death
what Bcl2 proteins promote cell death; inhibit?
Bax and bak; Bcl2 protein
draw out the process of Bax or Bak molecules promoting cell death
main points: apoptotic stimulus on organelle (e.g. mitochondria), bax/bak will facilitate cytochrome c movement from organelle to cytosol, adaptor proteins bind to cytochrome c molecules, these units arrange into a wheel-like structure (apoptosome), procaspase molecules will attach to apoptosome and activate leading to caspase cascade and apoptosis
how can Bcl2 affect bax/bak from promoting cell death
Bcl2 would inhibit Bax/bak from following through with their role
how does unicellular organism growth regulate
thru nutrient availability
how are multicellular organism cells regulated
by extracellular signal molecules for survival, growth, division
what are some examples of extracellular signal molecules that regulate multicellular organism cells
- soluble proteins secreted by neighboring cells
- proteins bound to surface of neighboring cells
what are the positive extracellular signal proteins
- survival factors
- mitogens
- growth factors
what do we mean by positive extracellular signal proteins
things that tell a cell to not go thru apoptosis
define mitogens
- proteins that induce cellular division or
- enhance rate of division
why do animal cells need survival factors
to prevent apoptosis