Damage and disease

• What happens when the regulation of the cell cycle is disrupted?

  Cells can divide uncontrollably
• What can uncontrolled cell division lead to?

  Formation of tumors, benign or malignant
• What are the two types of tumors?

  Benign and malignant
• How do mutations in proto-oncogenes affect cell division?

  They can turn into oncogenes, causing excessive division
• What happens when tumor suppressor genes are mutated?

  They fail to stop abnormal cell division
• What are some causes of mutations?

  Exposure to carcinogens
• Name a chemical carcinogen.

  Tobacco smoke
• What type of radiation can act as a carcinogen?

  UV light and X-rays
• Which virus is associated with cervical cancer?

  HPV
• What is the role of apoptosis in normal cells?

  It prevents tumor formation by eliminating damaged cells
• What happens if apoptosis fails?

  Damaged cells may continue to divide
• What can errors during mitosis lead to?

  Mutations
• What happens to most mutations?

  They are corrected or harmless
• How do some mutations affect normal cell function?

  They can disrupt normal cell function and lead to cancer
• What is metastasis?

  The spread of cancer cells to new areas
• Why is metastasis dangerous?

  It makes cancer more dangerous
• What do many cancer treatments aim to disrupt?

  Mitosis in rapidly dividing cells
• What does chemotherapy interfere with?

  The mitotic spindle
• How does radiation therapy work?

  It damages DNA, triggering apoptosis in cancer cells
• What are key terms related to cancer and mitosis?

  • Carcinogen: Increases cancer risk
  • Tumor: Mass of abnormal cells
  • Malignant: Tumor that spreads
  • Benign: Tumor that does not invade
  • Metastasis: Spread of cancer cells
  • Apoptosis: Programmed cell death