PLTW Medical Interventions Unit 3 Test

Characteristics of all cancers

-ignore contact inhibition

-systematically and locally expand

-multiple nuclei

-multiply rapidly without stop

-do not have a uniform shape

Ways diagnostic imaging technologies are used to diagnose and treat disorders

through the use of magnets and forms of x-rays

What do DNA microarrays measure?

measure the level of expression of a gene

How is DNA microarray technology used to determine the differences in gene expression between tissue samples?

cDNA is made and applied to the microarray the cDNA then binds to complementary base pairs in each spot of the array (hybridization) the spots will then change colors based on what stuck to the spots after a laser is put through them

How are the similarities of gene expression patterns between different individuals calculated?

using ratios based on the gene color expression

In what ways do different risk factors increase the chance that a person will develop cancer?

sporadic- random

familial- location and environment

hereditary- genes

How can lifestyle changes reduce the risk for developing cancer?

if one does not put carcinogens into their body their chance of getting cancer drops significantly also with other factors such as excising if your exercise more then you will have less of a chance of developing cancer

How can molecular tests be used to detect inherited genetic mutations associated with certain cancer.

molecular tests can beused to detect inherited genetic mutations associated with certian cancers through the use of DNA markers which can indicate what sequence is where

How can viruses lead to cancer?

EBV, Herpes, and many other viruses have direct links to the development of cancer cells in different parts of the body

What is the importance of routine cancer screenings?

if routine screenings are done then a medical professional could diagnose and begin treatment

Apoptosis

the changes that occur within a cell as it undergoes programmed cell death, which is brought by signals that trigger the activation of a cascade of suicide proteins in the cell destined to die

Biopsy

the removal and examination of tissues, cells or fluids from the living body

Bone Scan

a test that detects areas of increased or decreased bone metabolism; test is performed to identify abnormal processes involving the bone such as tumor, infection or fracture

Cancer

a malignant tumor of potentially unlimited growth that expands locally and systematically

Cell Cycle

an ordered sequence of events in the life of eukaryotic cell from its origin in the division of a parent cell until its own division into two

Computed Tomography Scan (CT or CAT Scan)

a sectional 3D view of the body constructed by computed tomography

Diagnostic Imaging

technolgies that doctors use to look inside your body for clues about a medical condition; includes x-rays, CT scans, nuclear medicine scans, MRI scans and ultrasound

DNA Microarray

a microarray of immobilized single stranded DNA fragments of known nucleotide sequence that is used especially in the identification and sequencing of DNA samples and in the analysis of gene expression (as in a cell or tissue)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

a noninvasive diagnostic technique that produces computerized images of internal body tissues and is based on nuclear magnetic resonance of atoms within the body induced by the application of radio waves

Oncogene

a gene having the potential to cause a normal cell to become cancerous

Osteosarcoma

a cancer derived from bone or containing bone tissue

Proto-oncogene

a normal cellular gene corresponding to an oncogene; a gene with a potential to cause cancer but that requires some altercation to become an oncogene

Radiology

a branch of medicine concerned with the use of radiant energy in the diagnosis and treatment of disease

Risk Factor

something which increases risk or susceptibility

Tumor Suppressor Gene

a gene whose protein products inhibit cell division, thereby preventing uncontrolled cell growth (cancer)

X-ray

to examine, treat or photograph with x-rays

Allele

any of the alternative form of a gene that may occur at a given locus

BRCA

either of two tumor suppressor genes (BRCA1 or BRCA2) that in mutated form tend to be associated with an increased risk of certain cancers especially breast and ovarian cancers

Cryosurgery

surgery in which diseased or abnormal tissue (as a tumor or wart) is destroyed or removed by freezing (the use of liquid nitrogen)

Familial Cancer

cancer that occurs in families more often than would be expected by chance, often occur at an early age, and may indicate the presence of a gene mutation that increases the risk of cancer. they may also be a sign of shared environmental or lifestyle factors

Genetic Marker

alteration in DNA that may indicate an increased risk of developing a specific disease or disorder

Hereditary Cancer

an inherited disorder in which affected individuals have a higher-than-normal chance of developing certain types of cancer, often before the age of 50

Marker Analysis

a genetic technique whereby the sequence of the gene is not directly analyzed but the mutant copy (allele) of the gene is inferred through analysis of a genetic marker

Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) or Microsatellite

any numerous short segments of DNA that are distributed throughout the genome, that consists of repeated sequences of usually 2 to 5 nucleotides, and that are often useful markers in studies of genetic linkage because they tend to vary from one individual to another

Melanoma

a tumor of high milginancy that starts in melanocytes of normal skin or moles and metastasized rapidly and widely

Model System

an organism chosen to study broad biological principles

Screening

to test or examine for the presence of something (as a disease)

Sporadic Cancer

cancer occurring occasionally, singly or in scattered instances

Virologist

a specialist in virology, the branch of science that deals with viruses