Cancer cell differences
Divide when they shouldn’t, invade surrounding tissue, move to other location
Cancer
Unregulated cell division
Tumor
mass of cells with no function
Benign tumor
Doesn’t affect surrounding tissue
Malignant tumor (cancerous)
Invades surrounding tissues
Metastasis
Cell breaks away from malignant tumor and starts a new cancer at another location
How do metastatic cells travel?
Circulatory system or lymphatic system
Cancer risk factors
Tobacco use, carcinogens, alcohol consumption, high fat/low fiber diet, lack of exercise, increasing age
Asexual reproduction
One parent, offspring are genetically identical to parent
Sexual reproduction
Gametes are combined from two parents, offspring are genetically different from one another and parents
Chromosome
Long strand of DNA tightly wrapped around proteins
Centromere
Duplicated chromosomes are held together here
Sister chromatids
Duplicated DNA held together at the centromere
DNA replication
When DNA is replicated to prepare for cell division
Karyotype
A type of diagram showing chromosomes of a person (chromosomes are visible during mitosis)
DNA Polymerase
Enzyme that replicated DNA forming covalent bonds between nucleotides on the backbone of a new strand and hydrogen bonds between nucleotides on different DNA strands
Semiconservative replication
When two identical daughter molecules are created, each with a part of the original
Cell cycle
The lifecycle of the cell
Interphase
Phase where DNA replicates
Mitosis
Phase where copied chromosomes are moved into daughter cells
Cytokinesis
Phase where cell splits into two different daughter cells
Phases of Interphase
G1: cell growth, organelles duplicate
S: DNA replicates
G2: cell makes proteins needed to complete mitosis
Phases of Mitosis
Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase
Cytokinesis in plants and animals
Plants: cell wall forms between cells, from cellulose
Animals: proteins pinch original cell into two new cells
Checkpoints
Points during interphase and mitosis where proteins survey condition of cell, must pass to proceed with cell division
G1 checkpoint
Are growth factors present, is DNA damaged, is cell large enough and has nutrients
G2 checkpoint
Did DNA replicate properly
Metaphase checkpoint
Have chromosomes attached properly to microtubles
Proto-oncogenes
Genes that produce proteins to control the cell cycle
Mutation
Change in the sequence of DNA
Oncogenes
Mutated proto-oncogenes
Tumor suppressor genes
Genes for proteins that will stop cell division if something isn’t right
Angiogenesis
When tumors get their own blood supply
Loss of contact inhibition
Cells pile up on each other
Loss of anchorage dependence
Allows cancer cells to move to another location
Immortalized
Cells that have no fixed number of cell divisions
Multiple hit model
Cancer development requires multiple mutations
Meiosis differences
Cell division in gonads to produce gametes, reduces number of chromosomes in each cell, creates haploids instead of diploids
Phases of Meiosis
Meiosis I and Meiosis II
Meiosis I
Separates duplicated homologous chromosomes into two cells (may have crossing over), resulting cells are haploid
Meiosis II
Separates sister chromatids of a homologous pair into individual cells, one chromosome per cell, results in gamete
Crossing over
Exchange of equivalent portions of chromosomes between members of homologous pair (occurs in prophase I
Random alignment
The ways that different pairs of chromosomes align and get separated during meiosis I is random
Nondisjunction
Failure of homologues to separate normally during meiosis
Trisomy
Gamete with one too many chromosome
Monosomy
Gamete with one too few chromosome
Gene
Short region of DNA molecule that code a certain protein
Allele
Specific version of a gene
Autosome
The main chromosomes (1-22)
Sex chromosomes
X or Y chromosome
Diploid
Two copies of each chromosome (somatic cells)
Haploid
Only one copy of each chromosome (reproductive cells)
Phenotype
Expression of a genetic trait
Genotype
Genetic make up (genes on the chromosome)
Homozygote
Same two alleles (AA or aa)
Heterozygote
Two different alleles (Aa)
Johann “Gregor” Mendel
Father of genetics
Ways variation is created
Mutation, random alignment, crossing over, fertilization
Independent Assortment
Each homologous chromosome is separated without relation to the other
Linkage
Two genes on the same chromosome (not independently assorted, segregate together
Polygenic Traits
Traits determined by two or more genes
Dihybrid crosses
Crosses involving two traits
Incomplete dominance
Two dominant allele copies needed for full phenotype, heterozygote phenotype is intermediate to the homozygotes
Codominance
Neither allele is dominant to the other, heterozygote shows both traits at once (no blending)
Multiple alleleism
When there are multiple alleles for one gene
Sex-linked genes
Genes located on the sex chromosomes
Pedigree
Family tree that shows the inheritance of traits over several generations
DNA Fingerprinting
Equivalent to human barcode or fingerprint and helps with identification of individuals
DNA fingerprinting steps
DNA isolated from tissue sample
DNA cut into fragments with enzymes
Fragments separated on basis of size and visualized (each is unique)
PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
DNA mixed with nucleotides, primers, Taq polymerase, and is heated, which splits DNA into complementary strands. Taq polymerase then builds a new complementary strand and process repeats
Overhang
DNA is cut with “sticky ends”, think cut diagonally but evenly
Blunt ends
DNA is cut straight across
Gel electrophoresis
DNA fragments are separated based on size, electric current is applied to agarose gel and the smaller fragments will run faster through the gel
Protein synthesis
Using instructions on a gene to create proteins
RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)
Single strand with nucleotides composed of ribose and four nitrogenous bases (same as DNA but U replaces T)
Transcription
Making RNA in the nucleus, produces messenger RNA (mRNA)
Translation
Making proteins in the cytoplasm
RNA polymerase
Enzyme that zips down the gene and matches RNA nucleotides with DNA nucleotides
Promoter
Region where the RNA polymerase knows to start
Translation requirements
mRNA, rRNA, tRNA
Ribosomes
Made of rRNA and is made of a large subunit and a small subunit
Transfer RNA (tRNA)
Carries amino acids and matches anticodon with codon on mRNA, in cytoplasm
Process of Translation
Ribosomes attach to mRNA at promoter region, ribosomes allow tRNA to match anticodons to mRNA codons, the two tRNA’s next to each other form a bond between their amino acids
Stop Codon
Sequence of three base pairs that indicate the end of the RNA to be translated
Outcomes of mutation to protein
No change in protein
Non-functional protein
Different protein
Substitution
Changes one amino acid
Insertion or deletion
Causes frameshift
Regulating Gene Expression
Turning a gene or a set of genes on or off
Genetic Engineering
Altering hereditary traits by molecular biological techniques
rBGH
Growth hormones that increase body size and milk production in cows
Restriction enzymes
Enzymes used in bacteria as a defense. Cuts DNA at specific sequences
Plasmid
Small circular piece of bacterial DNA that exists separate from bacterial chromosome, can ferry a gene into a cell
Recombinant
Material that has been genetically engineered
Steps in creating rBGH
Remove gene from cow chromosome
Insert BGH gene into bacterial plasmid
Insert recombinant plasmid into bacterial cell, which creates millions of copies of rBGH gene and protein, which is then put into the cows
Artificial selection
Using selective breeding to change the characteristics of a population
Transgenic organism
Also called Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), the result of incorporating a gene from one organism to the genome of another
Benefits of GMO foods
Increase shelf life, yield, or nutritional value
Stem cells
Undifferentiated cells, in embryo can grow to many different cells and tissues, in adults function as a repair system
Gene Therapy
Replacement of defective genes with functional genes
Germ line gene therapy
Embryonic treatment where embryo or every cell is supplied with a functional version of the defective gene