cancer Lecture 1

Cancer

A disease in which an individual mutant clone of cells prospers at the expense of its neighbors and ultimately the entire multicellular cooperative.

Multicellular Cooperation and Communication

Cells in multicellular organisms coordinate their behavior through continuous communication to maintain overall health.

Mechanisms of Cellular Communication

Processes by which cells send, receive, and interpret signals from their environment and other cells.

Socially Responsible Cellular Behavior

Cells behave in a manner that supports the health of the entire organism through actions like resting, dividing, differentiating, and undergoing apoptosis.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death that occurs for the benefit of the multicellular organism.

Cancer Critical Genes

Genes that, when mutated, disrupt normal cell division and DNA damage repair, leading to cancerous behavior.

Mitogens

Extracellular signals from other cells that initiate or promote cell division.

Growth Factors

Signaling molecules that promote cell division by increasing cell mass and ensuring proper size during division.

Checkpoints

Points in the cell cycle that monitor and control progression to ensure accurate division and proper conditions.

G1 Checkpoint

The checkpoint that ensures adequate size, nutrients, and undamaged DNA before a cell can enter the S phase.

G2 Checkpoint

The checkpoint that guarantees that all chromosomes are accurately replicated before the cell enters mitosis.

Metaphase Checkpoint

The checkpoint during mitosis that ensures all chromosomes are properly attached to the spindle before progressing to anaphase.

Cell Cycle Control

The regulatory mechanisms that ensure cells only divide under appropriate conditions.

Loss of Homeostasis

The condition in cancer where there is an imbalance in cell proliferation and death, leading to excessive cell growth.

Tumor Formation

The result of disrupted balance between cell division and cell death leading to an accumulation of abnormal cells.

Selfish Cellular Behavior

Behavior of cancer cells that ignore signals and controls, prioritizing their own growth over the health of neighboring cells.