Cell Biology: Cell Division, Mutations, and Cancer

Vocabulary practice cards covering DNA mutations, cancer progression, cell size dynamics, and stages of the cell cycle and division.

Mutation

A change in DNA that is not always harmful and creates different versions of alleles of the same gene.

Codon

A three-nucleotide sequence on mRNA that codes for a specific amino acid during translation.

Substitution Mutation

A mutation that changes a single base nucleotide sequence, which can result in the wrong amino acid (impairing function or proving fatal) or a silent mutation.

Silent Mutation

A substitution mutation where a single base in a gene is changed, but the encoded amino acid and resulting protein remain identical.

Sickle Cell Disease

A disorder caused by a one-base substitution mutation in the hemoglobin protein gene that changes an amino acid.

Frameshift Mutation

A mutation created by the insertion or deletion of bases not in multiples of $3$, which shifts the reading frame, alters all subsequent codons, and usually results in non-functional proteins.

Cystic Fibrosis

A genetic condition noted as resulting from a frameshift mutation.

Mutagens

Physical or chemical agents that cause mutations in DNA.

Chemical Checkpoints

Points that regulate the cell cycle where mistakes may be fixed or, if failed, the cell is programmed to die.

Tumor

An abnormal cell mass formed when cells that fail to die continue to divide out of control.

Benign Tumor

A harmless, non-spreading abnormal mass of cells.

Malignant Tumor

A cancerous mass of cells that can seed new tumors throughout the body if it metastasizes.

Metastasis

The process by which malignant cells spread through blood or lymph vessels to seed new tumors elsewhere in the body.

Cancer

A condition of uncontrolled cell division that results from an accumulation of mutations.

Surface Area-to-Volume (SA:V) Ratio

The relationship between a cell's exterior surface and internal volume; smaller cells have a higher ratio, allowing them to quickly exchange materials with their surroundings.

Semiconservative Replication

The mode of DNA replication where each newly synthesized DNA molecule consists of one original strand and one new complementary strand.

Chromatin

The material formed when DNA combines with proteins before condensing into discrete chromosomes.

Sister Chromatids

Two identical DNA molecules that form a replicated chromosome and are joined together at the centromere.

Centromere

The central region of a replicated chromosome where two sister chromatids are held together.

Interphase

The broad division of the cell cycle during which a cell performs its normal functions, cell parts increase, and DNA replicates in preparation for division.

Mitosis

The process of cell division in which the cell nucleus divides into two.

Cytokinesis

The division of the cytoplasm that results in two identical daughter cells.

Cleavage Furrow

The first visible sign of cytokinesis where the cell membrane indents as the cytoplasm begins to divide.