First Class MM

Question 1

What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Answer 1

Mitosis = cell division by somatic cells (daughter cells are diploid)

meiosis = formation of haploid gametes (sperm and egg cells) by germline cells

Question 2

In which part of the body does meiosis occur?

Answer 2

in the testis and ovaries

Question 3

Does genetic recombination occur in meiosis or mitosis?

Answer 3

meiosis

Question 4

How does cancer occur as a result of cell division?

Answer 4

cell mutations are duplicated during cell division - therefore an accumulation of the mutation occurs

Question 5

What channel does Cystic Fibrosis effect?

Answer 5

CFTR = cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator = which is a cAMP activated chloride ion channel expressed in the lungs, liver, pancreas, intestines etc

Question 6

Why might two different cystic fibrosis patients respond to different treatments?

Answer 6

Because there are a number of mutations that result in cystic fibrosis - drugs try to target the genetic CF each patient has- i.e.) open ion channels? Help with transcription of the protein?

Question 7

Patients with HER2 positive breast cancer… what do they respond well to therapeutically?

Answer 7

HER2= gene for human epidermal growth factor (regulates proliferation) - some breast cancers have amplification of this gene and they therefore respond well to trastuzumab (herceptin) which is a monoclonal antibody that blocks ligand binding to the HER2 site