bio 111 unit 2

characteristics of living things

• process energy

• grow, reproduce, develop

• responds to stimuli

• regulation (homeostasis)

• adaptation

cancerous cells

body unable to control cell division

cytoskeleton

provide shape and support

lysosome

garbage disposal

• recycle cell waste

endomembrane system

rough ER, smooth er, golgi apparatus

• pack up molecules for transport

what do cancer cells do for gene expression

lack specialization

• ignore instructions about what protein to produce

• create non specialized protein

interphase g1

cell grows

• save up energy

interphase S

DNA replicates

• 2 copies of each chromosome

interphase g2

cell grows more

• prep for mitosis

interphase g0

inactive, not prepping to divide

g1 checkpoint

DNA damage? nutrients?

g2 checkpoint

DNA replicated properly?

m checkpoint

splindle fibers properly built/attached?

what happens when checkpoints are failed

apoptosis or g0

tumor suppressor genes

code for proteins

• examine DNA for damage at g1

proto oncogenes

speed cell cycle up

• overly sensitive to extracellular signals

cancer cell characteristics

1. odd shape ( large nuclei, dark stain)

2. unlimited cell division

3. less specialization

4. change to blood flow

5. invade surrounding tissues

6. move to other body parts

angiogenesis

create new blood vessels to feed tumor

• gets more o2

metastasis

cancer cells spread

• thru lymphatic or circulatory system

what are stages determined by

• tumor size

• invade nearby tissues

• spread to lymph nodes/organ tissues

stage 0/1

small tumor area

• nearby lymph nodes

stage 2

invades other surrounding tissues

• localized mostly

stage 3

tumor grows and moves

• metastasis

• detect in lymph nodes

stage 4

in distant tissues

genetic testing for cancer

blood draw → PCR → DNA sequence

blood test for cancer

number of WBC

• more = immune response

tumor cells in blood = stage 4

• blood chemistry changes

• cancer proteins

body scans for cancer

detects tumors

• mammogram = breast cancer

• ct scans, pet scan, MRI

chemotherapy

stops cancer cell division

• interfere with cell cycle

• affects ALL rapidly dividing cells

  • lotta side effects

alkylating agents

breaks DNA into strands

• cant divide

• leukemia sid effect

antimetabolites

like nucleotides

• integrated into DNA molecules

topoisomerase inhibitors

enzyme unwinds DNA in replication

alkaloids and taxanes

block spindle fibers from forming

• natural by plants

• side effect: nerve damage

radiation

attacks specific tumors

• damage DNA to slow/stop division

• less effective for metastatic cancer

stem cell therapy

for blood cell cancers

• replace bone marrow

• create new rbc and wbc

future of treatments

1. genome editing: remove/replace cancer genes

2. immunotherapy: body immune system attacks tumors