Checks for cell size, nutrients, growth factors, and DNA damage. Once this point is passed, there is no point in return - the cell will continue into S phase, in prep for mitosis
G2 checkpoint
Checks for DNA damage, and replication (that occurred in S phase)
Spindle fibre checkpoint
Checks for chromosomal attachment to spindles in metaphase
Apoptosis
Programmed 'cell death' (cell recognizes something is wrong)
When apoptosis is good
If a cell becomes damaged beyond repair
Consequences of mutations
Nothing - it might not cause any difference
Good - evolution!
Bad - the protein can no longer work / is not functional
Types of tumours
Benign "harmless"
Malignant - invasive, infiltrating other tissue
Metastasis
When tumour cells break off from the original tumour and start growing at a different part of the body
Cancer is broken MITOSIS or even more specifically, broken DNA replication
