Exam 1

Question 1

What is cancer?

Answer 1

Abnormal cells proliferating in an uncontrolled fashion and spreading throughout the body.

Question 2

What are the two main traits of cancer cells?

Answer 2

Proliferate uncontrollably
Metastasize

Question 3

What are the four types of tissue growth

Answer 3

Hypertrophy: Cells get larger
Hyperplasia: More cells grow
Dysplasia: Cells get smaller and larger
Neoplasia: Cells warp, change size, change number, and move

Question 4

What is carcinoma, and from which type of cells does it originate?

Answer 4

Carcinoma originates from epithelial cells and represents 90% of all human cancers.

Question 5

What is sarcoma, and which tissues does it affect primarily?

Answer 5

Sarcoma primarily affects supporting and connective tissues, including bone, cartilage, blood vessels, fat, and muscle. It is the rarest group of cancers (1%).

Question 6

: What are lymphoma and leukemia, and what types of cancers do they represent?

Answer 6

Lymphoma and leukemia are lymph and blood cancers. Lymphoma involves white blood cells and forms solid mass tumors, while leukemia involves blood cells that proliferate in the bloodstream.

Question 7

What prefix is added to the names of benign tumors, and what is an example?

Answer 7

Benign tumors often have the prefix “oma” added to their names. An example is “adenoma.”

Question 8

What is added to the names of malignant epithelial cancers, and what is an example?

Answer 8

Malignant epithelial cancers have “carcinoma” added to their names. An example is “adenocarcinoma.”

Question 9

What is added to the names of malignant connective tissue cancers, and what is an example?

Answer 9

Malignant connective tissue cancers have “sarcoma” added to their names. An example is “osteosarcoma.”

Question 10

What do the names of cancers indicate?

Answer 10

The names of cancers indicate the primary tumor, where the tumor originally arises.

Question 11

How do cancers differ in terms of site of origin?

Answer 11

Cancers can differ in terms of the site of origin, such as the adrenal gland, skeletal muscle, or pancreas.

Question 12

How do cancers differ in terms of cell type?

Answer 12

Cancers can differ in terms of cell type. For example, in the skin, they can be basal cell, squamous cell, keratinocyte, or melanocyte, while in the lung, there are at least seven different cell types.

Question 13

What factors determine the appearance of cancer cells?

Answer 13

size of nuclei, the ratio of nucleus size to cytoplasm, nuclear shape, the number of dividing cells, tissue organization

Question 14

How is tumor grading and staging determined for cancer?

Answer 14

Tumor grade assigns tumors of the same cancer type
Tumor stage assesses how large a tumor is and how far it has spread at the time of diagnosis.

Question 15

What are some traits of cancerous cells

Answer 15

Decreased density-dependent inhibition of growth
Anchorage-independent growth
Immortality (increased life span)
Disregulated cell cycle

Question 16

What does decreased density-dependent inhibition of growth mean in cancer cells?

Answer 16

Cancer cells show decreased density-dependent inhibition of growth, meaning they continue to grow even when the cell density is high.

Question 17

What is the difference between anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth in cancer cells?

Answer 17

Cancer cells show decreased density-dependent inhibition of growth, meaning they continue to grow even when the cell density is high.

Question 18

What is the difference between anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent growth in cancer cells?

Answer 18

Anchorage-dependent growth is the normal state where cells must be anchored to the extracellular matrix (ECM) to grow. Anchorage-independent growth is when cancer cells grow well despite the lack of adhesion to the ECM.

Question 19

What role do proteoglycans play in the extracellular matrix (ECM)?

Answer 19

Proteoglycans are proteins with sugars attached that fill the space between cells in the ECM. They help maintain cell adhesion.

Question 20

How do integrins link the cytoskeleton to the ECM?

Answer 20

Integrins are proteins that link the cytoskeleton of the cell to the extracellular matrix (ECM), providing structural support and facilitating cell adhesion.

Question 21

What happens to cells when they are not attached to the ECM?

Answer 21

anoikis, a form of apoptosis where they die due to lack of adhesion.

Question 22

What is the role of cyclin and Cdk in cancer cells, and how are they different from normal cells?

Answer 22

In cancer cells, cyclin and Cdk (Cyclin-dependent kinase) are mutated. Cyclin is expressed at varying levels during the cell cycle and works in a complex with Cdk, which is expressed constantly during the cell cycle.

Question 23

What is the significance of cancer cells having mutated cyclin and Cdk?

Answer 23

The mutation of cyclin and Cdk in cancer cells contributes to the disregulated cell cycle and uncontrolled cell growth seen in cancer.

Question 24

What is the impact of cancer cells having a decreased need for growth factors?

Answer 24

Cancer cells have a decreased need for growth factors, which means they can proliferate and grow independently of external signals that regulate cell growth in normal cells.

Question 25

What is a growth factor, and what is its role in cell growth and division?

Answer 25

A growth factor is a signal molecule that instructs a cell to grow and divide.

Question 26

How do growth factors relate to the regulation of the cyclin/CDK complex?

Answer 26

Growth factors play a role in regulating the cyclin/CDK complex, which is involved in the control of the cell cycle.

Question 27

How can the loss of restriction point control be used in designing cancer treatments?

Answer 27

The loss of restriction point control can be utilized in designing cancer treatments. For example:
Staurosporine can halt the cell at the restriction checkpoint.
Camptothecin can kill cells in the S phase by disrupting DNA synthesis.

Question 28

Types of mutations:
Depurination

Answer 28

A chemical process where a purine base (adenine or guanine) is removed from dna or rna molecule

Question 29

Types of mutations:
Deamination

Answer 29

A chemical process that involves the removal of an amino group from a molecule

Question 30

Spontaneous vs. Induced Mutations:

Answer 30

Spontaneous Mutations: These are natural genetic changes that happen by accident inside our cells.
Induced Mutations: These are genetic changes caused by outside factors, like radiation or chemicals.

Question 31

Germline vs. Somatic Mutations:

Answer 31

Germline Mutations: These are mutations in the reproductive cells (sperm and egg) and can be passed down to our kids.

Somatic Mutations: These are mutations in our regular body cells and don’t get passed down; they only affect us.

Question 32

Mutagens

Answer 32

Mutagens: These are things that can make mutations happen more often. They can be physical things like radiation, chemicals we encounter, or even certain viruses.

Question 33

Types of reasons for mutations
Pyrimidine dimer formation

Answer 33

a specific type of dna damage that occurs when two pyrimadine bases (cytosine or thymine) become bonded to eachother from UV radiation