Key players, General cancer information Flashcards
In a general sense describe cancer?
Immortal cells, population of cells that have lost control of reproduction and are proliferating uncontrollably
How does cancer cause death? (name 3 ways)
Respiratory failure
Malnourishment or dehydration
Loss of brain function
Bone marrow issues
Blood clot complications
Liver failure
Infections
In normal adult cells, do cells usually proliferate? Why?
No, in many tissues adult cells usually don’t proliferate except for special occasions such as healing processes
Is it possible for normal cells to last a lifetime?
Yes, hepatocytes (heart cells and nerves can last a lifetime)
what is the lifespan of cancer and transformed cells?
Cancer and transformed cells have an infinite lifespan,
can cancer cells die?
Yes, they are considered immortal because they cannot die from senescence however they can still die from other processes and factors
Why do cancer cells clump?
Cancer cells lack contact inhibition
Who is Henrietta Lacks?
Cancer cells were removed from her uterus without her consent in 1951. these cancer cells are still being used in labs around the world today.
Cancer is the number 1 cause of death? T/F
False, CV disease is number 1
Who is Theodor Boveri? (what did he study and discover from studying this organism)
Great german biologist, studied sea urchins in the 19th century, discovered eggs and sperm are haploid, discovered that a full set of chromosomes are required for normal development, reasoned that cancerous tumors began with a single cell that had a scrambled chromosome causing the cell to divide uncontrollably, proposed carcinogenesis was the result of irregular mitosis and uncontrolled growth was caused by radiation.
Sutton-Boveri chromosomes theory
Proposed that chromosomes are affected by hereditary factors and abide by mendelian laws
Who is Peyton Rous?
isolated the first tumor causing animal virus in 1911. Discovered the Rous Sarcoma Virus
Who is Otto Heinrich Warburg?
Major contributor to cancer metabolism,
What are the two basic conditions of cancer described by Warburg?
acidosis and hypoxia
Are cancer cells and normal tissues acidic or basic? (Warburg discovery)
Cancer cells while normal tissues are alkaline
Who discovered that if you deprive a cell of 35% of oxygen it may become cancerous over the next 48 hours?
Otto Heinrich Warburg
Why was Otto Heinrich important for cancer metabolism? (Warburg effect)
Discovered that unlike normal cells, cancerous cells metabolize glucose into lactate under aerobic conditions
What scan is based on the Warburg effect?
- CAT scan
- PET scan
- X-ray
PET scan
What is the Warburg effect?
Aerobic glycolysis, metabolizing glucose into lactate even under aerobic conditions
Name 3 key players
Theodor Boveri, Peyton Rous, Otto Heinrich Warburg
