Gene Expression and Cancer Flashcards
What are 5 major differences between benign and malignant tumours?
BENIGN VS MALIGNANT
-Grow slowly vs Grow quickly
-Normal cell nucleus appearance vs Large and dark nucleus appearance
-Well differentiated vs de-differentiated
-Adhesion molecules make them stick together vs No adhesion molecules causing spreading
-Surrounded by a capsule of dense tissue vs Can grow finger like projections into surrounding tissues (Due to no dense tissue capsule)
-Non-life threatining vs Life threatening
-Localised effects vs Systemic effects
-Removed by surgery vs Chemotherapy/Radiotherapy + surgery
-Rarely reoccur vs Often reoccur
What is the role of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes in the development of tumours?
-ONCOGENE: Mutations of proto-oncogenes which stimulate a cell to divide when growth factors attach to a protein receptor on its cell-surface membrane.
-If a proto-oncogene becomes an oncogene it may become permanently activated (Receptor
-TUMOUR SUPPRESSOR GENES: TSGs slow down cell division, repair mistakes in DNA and ‘inform’ cells when to die (Apoptosis)
-If it becomes inhibited and switches off, cell division becomes uncontrolled and a tumour can form
