Lectures 1/2 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is cancer?

A

Cancer is a condition where abnormal cells grow and reproduce uncontrollably.

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2
Q

What evidence is there for cancer being genetic?

A

-most carcinogens are also mutagens
-no mini epidemics so not contagious
-incidence increase with age in correlation with DNA damage
-chromosome instability a common feature
-defects in DNA repair increase probability of cancer

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3
Q

What are the two types of mutation?

A

Somatic and Germ line

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4
Q

What are germ-line mutations?

A

-mutations in every cell in the body
-passed directly from parent to child
-less common than somatic
-called inherited cancer

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5
Q

What are somatic mutations?

A

-known as acquired mutations
-occur due to damages to genes during a persons lifetime
-aren’t passed from parent to child
-most common cause of cancer
-called sporadic cancer

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6
Q

What are cancer genes?

A

Genes that before mutation have a normal function but once mutated can cause cancer

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7
Q

What are the two main groups of cancer genes?

A

Oncogenes and Tumor suppressor genes

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8
Q

What is the normal version of oncogenes?

A

Proto-oncogenes

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9
Q

Are oncogenes dominant or recessive?

A

Tend to be dominant acting

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10
Q

Can mutations in oncogenes be inherited?

A

Not usually

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11
Q

Do Timor suppressor genes act recessively or dominantly?

A

Recessive acting

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12
Q

Can tumor suppressor genes mutations be inherited?

A

Can be inherited in family cancer syndromes

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13
Q

What are the usual function of Timor suppressor genes?

A

Usually prevent cell growth/division

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14
Q

What happens when a tumor suppressor gene mutates?

A

You get a loss of function

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15
Q

Example of an inherited tumor suppressor gene cancer?

A

Retinoblastoma

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16
Q

What do Proto-oncogenes have as a usual function?

A

To promote cell growth and division

17
Q

What happens when a proto-oncogene becomes an oncogene?

A

Gain of function mutation

18
Q

What type of mutations occur in oncogenes?

A

Tend to have multiple mutations in a few codons affecting particular domains usually bias towards missense mutations

19
Q

What type of mutations occur in tumor suppressor genes?

A

Usually missense mutations and mutations that cause premature termination

20
Q

What are gatekeeper genes?

A

Act directly to restrain proliferation

21
Q

What are caretaker genes?

A

Act directly and maintain integrity of genome. Disruption leads to genomic instability DNA repair genes are a subgroup.

22
Q

What are landscaper genes?

A

Act indirectly to control the environment in which cells grow creating a microenvironment to aid cancer cells when mutated

23
Q

What are DNA repair genes?

A

A subclass of tumor suppressor genes indirectly involved in growth, inhibition or differentiation.

24
Q

What happens after inactivation of DNA repair genes?

A

-results in DNA damage going unrepaired
-leads to accumulation of mutations in the other cellular genes
-increasing the likelihood of damaging mutations in other genes

25
Q

What is retinoblastoma?

A

Common eye tumor is a tumor of the retinal stem cell.

26
Q

What are the signs of retinoblastoma?

A

Signs can be a white pupil

27
Q

What is the two-hit hypothesis?

A

Also known as the Knudson hypothesis, says that it takes both alleles to be inactived through mutations or epigenetic silencing.

28
Q

Why do inherited cancer occur earlier in life?

A

As they only need one mutation where as sporadic need two.

29
Q

What is loss of heterozygosity (LOH)?

A

A mutation where you lose one normal copy of a gene or a group of genes.