Lesson 4: Virtual Lab

Cell Reproduction: how can cancer cells be recognized?

Data
Number of Cells in Each Phase of the Cell Cycle 

% of Cells % of Cells
  Interphase Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase
Dividing at Rest
 
 19 1 0 0 0 5% 95%
Lung
Cancerous
 18 0 0 1 1 10% 90%
Lung
Normal
 16 1 1 0 2 20% 80%
Stomach
Cancerous
 14 2  1 1 2 30% 70%
Stomach
Normal
 19 0 0 1 0 5% 95%
Ovary
Cancerous
 12 2 1 2 3 40% 60%
Ovary

Journal Questions

1. Based on your data and observations, what are some of the differences between
normal cells and cancer cells?

- % of normal cells dividing is less than % of cancer cells Dividing.

- % of normal cells at rest is more than % of cancer cells at Rest.
- Number of normal cells that are dividing are less than cancer cells.

2. Which type of cancer shows the most aggressive growth? Explain.

   

- The ovary cancer shows the most aggressive growth, which is 40% of
it is dividing cells, a great numbers of cells division compare to other
type of cancers. Not to mention, a normal ovary cell divide at the
rate of 5%, a much smaller than the cancer cells.

3. When studying cell division in tissue samples, scientists often calculate a mitotic
index, which is the ratio of dividing cells to the total number of cells in the sample.
Scientists often calculate the mitotic index to compare the growth rates of different
types of tissue. Which type of tissue would have a higher mitotic index, normal tissue
or cancerous tissue? Explain.

Cancerous tissues will have a higher mitotic index since the % of dividing cells is
higher than others, therefore a higher mitotic index.