Unit 1: Cell reproduction

Activity 1: “The Eukaryotic Cell Cycle and Cancer”

27 Febraury 2023

Professor: MD. in ECh. Miguel Alberto López Sánchez

Student’s name: Fátima Preciado García
College tuition: 110195501
UVM e-mail: a110195501@my.uvm.edu.mx
Subject: Biology II
Semester: 4th. Group: 45BB
Bicultural Highschool
 Activity 1 | Quiz

Procedure
Follow the instructions as you proceed through the Click & Learn and answer the questions in the
spaces below.

Click on the “Background” tab on the right side. Read the information and watch the videos.
1. Why is cell division important for both single-celled and multicellular organisms?
Cell division is the only way single-celled organisms can reproduce.
Multicellular organisms need cell division to grow and to replace dead or damaged cells.

2. Why does cell division remain important to an adult organism even after it is fully developed?
cell reproduction is still necessary to repair or regenerate tissues.

3. Cells divide, differentiate, or die. What is differentiation?

cell division, which involves dividing a parent cell into two daughter cells, cellular differentiation is the
process of creating different cell types with distinct functions.

4. What is apoptosis? What is its purpose?

a process that eliminates unnecessary cells during development and removes unhealthy or damaged cells
in the mature organism.

5. What are cell cycle regulators?

are key factors for the control of proliferation and cell survival.

6. What happens if cell cycle regulators don’t function properly?

an organism may end up with too few or too many cells.

Click on the purple section labeled “Cell Cycle Phases” as well as the words “Mitosis” and “Interphase” to
read an overview of the cell cycle. You can also click on the various phases.
7. Cells go through periods of growth and division. Cell division occurs during M phase (Mitosis)_.
The rest of the cell cycle is called interphase, during which (use the blank below to complete the
sentence)
a cell grows and replicates its DNA.

8. Fill in the details about what happens during the three phases of interphase labeled in the diagram.
First Gap Phase: During G1, the cell increases in size and prepares to replicate its DNA. G1-Checkpoint:
Toward the end of G1, the cell has to be healthy to replicate its DNA. If the DNA is undamaged and
enough resources are available for the cell to keep growing and divide, growth signals will stimulate the

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 cell to proceed to the DNA synthesis, or S, phase. Otherwise, either the cell dies or it enters a resting
state, also referred to as G0 phase.

Synthesis Phase: The cell replicates its DNA. At the end of this phase, the cell has two complete sets of
chromosomes. S-Checkpoint: DNA is continuously monitored for replication errors. If DNA synthesis
progresses without errors, growth signals will stimulate the cell to proceed to G2.

Second Gap Phase: The cell continues to grow and prepares for division. G2-Checkpoint: all chromosomes
have to be fully replicated and contain no other types of damage.

9. In general, what is the purpose of a checkpoint in the cell cycle?

To check if the process that they must do in each of the phases is done correctly so de cell can keep
developing in its cycle.

10. What is the G0 phase of the cell cycle?

a. Which factors determine whether a cell enters G0?
when it receives a signal to differentiate, or when resources are insufficient to grow and divide.

b. Can cells leave G0?

Yes, some tissues, such as the liver, injury can cause cells to leave G0 and progress through the cell cycle
to divide.

Click on “Cell Cycle Regulators and Cancer” in the center purple circle. Read the “Regulators Overview”
and then read through the “Cancer Overview” and watch the videos.

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11. What are cell cycle regulators?
are proteins that control the progression of a cell through the cell cycle and can either stimulate or inhibit
cell cycle progression.

a. Stimulating proteins are encoded by proto-oncogenes_.

Examples include: Anaphase-promoting complex (APC) and Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs).

b. Inhibitory proteins are encoded by tumor suppressor genes.

Examples include: p53 protein (functions as tumor suppression), APC protein (mutation in APC
gene leads to colon cancer), and Rb protein

12. Cancer is the result of an improperly regulated cell cycle. Describe two reasons why cells can form
tumors.
Too much division and too little cell death.

13. In some types of colon cancer, stem cells have a mutation in the APC gene. What happens if the APC
gene is mutated?
it makes the gene unstable and more susceptible to additional changes that may lead to colon and rectal
cancers.

14. Normally, proto-oncogenes stimulate the cell cycle. What are oncogenes and how do they affect the cell
cycle?
oncogenes, are analogous to putting the foot on the accelerator, increasing stimulation.

a. To cause cancer, proto-oncogenes require one allele(s) to be mutated and therefore are
considered dominant_ . The mutation results in a gain of function.

15. Normally, tumor suppressor genes inhibit the cell cycle. How do mutated tumor suppressor genes affect
the cell cycle?
can cause a loss of inhibition, which is similar to taking the foot off the brake. Both types of mutations
lead to uncontrolled cell division.

a. To cause cancer, tumor suppressor genes require _two allele(s) to be mutated and therefore are
considered recessive . The mutation results in a loss of function.

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References

Molnar, C. (2015, 14 mayo). 6.3 Cancer and the Cell Cycle – Concepts of Biology – 1st

Canadian Edition. Pressbooks. https://opentextbc.ca/biology/chapter/6-3-cancer-

and-the-cell-cycle/

NCBI - WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic. (s. f.).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3754875/

Cell Cycle Control, Oncogenes, Tumor Suppressors | Learn Science at Scitable. (s. f.).

https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/cell-cycle-control-by-oncogenes-and-

tumor-14191459/?error=cookies_not_supported&code=7c71e014-2435-4d9f-9245-

28b7b40a25ee

Numerade. (s. f.). SOLVED: Stimulating proteins are encoded by Examples include: tumor

suppressor genes Inhibitory proteins are encoded by Examples include:

https://www.numerade.com/ask/question/stimulating-proteins-are-encoded-by-

examples-include-tumor-suppressor-genes-inhibitory-proteins-are-encoded-by-

examples-include-09046/

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