BILD 2: Multicellular Life - Cancer and the Human Nervous System

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the basics of cancer biology and the anatomy and physiology of the human nervous system based on the lecture transcript.

Tumor suppressors

Genes that normally repress growth; when inactivated, they promote cancer.

Proto-oncogenes

Genes that normally encourage growth; when over-activated or inappropriately activated, they promote cancer.

DNA repair genes

Genes that normally fix errors in DNA; when inactivated, they promote mutations and therefore cancer.

Angiogenesis (in cancer)

The growth of blood vessels; when over-activated, it promotes tumor growth and spread of cancer.

Radiation and chemotherapy

Cancer treatments that primarily work by killing dividing cells.

Immunotherapy

A cancer treatment that enhances the ability of the immune system to kill cancerous cells.

Hormone

A signaling molecule produced in low concentrations by one part of an organism, transported to other parts, where it binds to a specific receptor and triggers responses.

Central nervous system (CNS)

The part of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord; it is the site of integration.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

The part of the nervous system consisting of everything outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Seizures

Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain.

Sensory neuron

A neuron that carries information from a sensor to the brain and spinal cord for integration.

Motor neuron

A neuron that stimulates muscles or glands.

Oligodendrocytes

CNS glia that insulate neurons with myelin and can myelinate multiple neurons at once.

Astrocytes

Main support cells for the brain that transport nutrients from the blood, balance the ionic environment, and are involved in care and maintenance.

Microglia

The "white blood cells" of the brain that fight micro-organisms and scavenge/clean up debris.

Schwann cells

PNS glia that insulate cells with myelin; one Schwann cell myelinates a single axon.

Dendrites

The parts of a neuron that receive signals and collect input.

Axon

The part of a neuron through which signals travel from the cell body toward the target.

Soma (Cell body)

The part of the neuron containing the nucleus.

Axon terminals

The part of the neuron that sends output to targets and initiates signaling to the next neuron.

Action potential (AP)

An electrical signal, also called "spikes" or "firing," that travels down the axon to allow fast, long-distance communication.

Membrane potential

The voltage inside a cell.

Resting membrane potential

The voltage inside a cell when it is at rest.

$Na^+/K^+$ pump

A pump that works all the time to slowly move $Na^+$ to the outside of the cell and $K^+$ to the inside of the cell.

Voltage-gated $Na^+$ channel

A channel triggered by high voltage (above threshold) that opens immediately to allow fast flow of $Na^+$ before inactivating.

Voltage-gated $K^+$ channel

A channel triggered by high voltage (above threshold) that opens after a short delay to allow fast flow of $K^+$.

Ion Pumps

Membrane structures that use active transport (ATP) to move ions slowly against concentration gradients.

Ion Channels

Membrane structures that use passive transport to allow ions to diffuse quickly down concentration gradients.