Unit 3 & 4 Flashcards
A thin layer of connective tissue that underlines the epithelial tissue layer
Basement Membrane
General term for a cancer of the epithelial cell
Carcinoma
Cells whose height is much longer than their width. These cells function for absorption of nutrients and secretion and are found mostly in the GI tract
Columnar epithelial
Cube shaped epithelial cells that function for secretion
Cuboidal epithelial
The inner space of a cavity, vessel, intestine, or other tube
Lumen
The tissue of the organ that is responsible for the function of that organ
Parenchyma
Flat, scale like, epithelial cells whose chief function is protection for the environment
Squamous epithelial
The connective tissue framework of an organ that supports the epithelial layer of tissue
Stroma
Epithelial cells that can transition in shape and size. These cells are primarily found in the urinary tract and prostate
Transitional epithelial
Unspecialized cells that form a number of different (but not all) cell types in the body
Adult stem cells
The process of cellular specialization
Differentiation
The study of how modifications to the DNA that do not affect the DNA sequence affect the phenotype of a cell or organism
Epigenetics
A tumor suppressor gene involved in DNA repair, whose mutated form is associated with breast and ovarian cancer as well as other cancers
BRCA1
Any chemical or agent that is capable of mutating DNA sequence
Mutagen
A change in a single nucleotide of a DNA sequence
Point mutation
A type of mutation where only a single nucleotide is altered- either inserted, deleted, or substituted
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)
The process by which a cell acquires characteristics of a cancer cell
Transformation
An infection that is persistent and never fully cleared by the immune system
Chronic infections
The immune response to infection, injury, or irritation that results in pain, redness, and swelling
Inflammation
A signaling molecule secreted primarily from immune cells, but also from other cells, that is the primary activator of inflammatory response
Tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-a)
List, describe, give the function, and an example of where the four types of epithelial tissues are and what they do.
Squamous- covers and protect the body, organs, and tissues (ex. Skin.)
Cuboidal- secretes substances (ex. Milk (breast))
Columnar- absorb substances (ex. Intestines, stomach)
Transitional- allow for stretching in organs that moves (ex. Bladder)
Describe what the parenchyma and stroma’s functions are
The function of the parenchyma is to perform the function of the organ in which the parenchyma tissue is in. The stroma’s function is to support the epithelial tissue. Within the stroma, blood vessels convey material to and from the epithelial cells and provide nutrients and signals for cell growth and survival.
Which organs are made of primarily epithelial cells and why are they the most common type of cancer?
Lungs, testis, breast, lymph nodes, stomach, skin, and kidney organs are made of primarily epithelial cells. They are the most common type of cancer because they are exposed to the environment which can have carcinogens.
