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Volume 30, Number 3, February 2018

Activity

Apoptosis
Martin Rowland

The questions in this worksheet relate to Andrew Gilmore’s article Apoptosis: understanding
programmed cell death.

Apoptosis is subject content in the OCR A-level biology A specification (topic 6.1.1d), but not in others.
The article provides a novel context for topics that are in all A-level biology specifications.

Read the article in full before attempting these questions.

Questions
1 ‘By the time you finish reading this sentence, millions of cells in your body will have killed
themselves’ (page 10, lines 1–3). Explain why Dr Gilmore writes that the cells ‘kill themselves’. [2
marks]

2 ‘Apoptosis is an important part of tissue homeostasis’ (page 10, line 9). Use your understanding of
homeostasis to suggest the meaning of tissue homeostasis. [2 marks]

3 Fragments of dead cells are ingested by neighbouring cells (lines 13–15).

(a) Name one type of cell that might ingest these fragments. [1 mark]

(b) Use information in the passage to suggest why the fragments can be ingested but the whole cell is
not. [2 marks]
4 ‘The identification of oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes spurred on the desire to understand
cancer at a molecular level’ (page 11, lines 16–18). Give the roles of oncogenes and tumour
suppressor genes in the development of cancer. [4 marks]

5 ‘Placing Bcl-2 next to the heavy chain gene in a B cell meant that the tumour cells made far more of
the Bcl-2 protein than they should’ (page 11, right, lines 10–12). The italicised version, Bcl-2,
represents something different from the unitalicised version, Bcl-2. Explain this difference. [1 mark]

6 ‘A necessary step in apoptosis is the conversion of inactive precursor caspases into the active
enzymes (page 12, right, lines 15–16). Explain the advantage to a cell of producing inactive precursor
procaspases. [2 marks]

7 ‘The activation of caspases requires the presence of cytochrome c’ (page 11, right, lines 17–18).
What is the role of cytochrome c in mitochondria? [2 marks]
8 The eight statements in the left-hand column of Table 1 below are stages in apoptosis. Arrange them
in the right-hand column in the order in which they occur in a cell. The first stage has been done for
you. [6 marks]

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Table 1

Stage Stages in order

BH3 combines with protein Bcl-2 Cell damaged by ultraviolet radiation

Cytochrome c released from

mitochondria

Bax protein released from Bcl-2

molecules

Genes are switched on that produce

protein BH3

Cell damaged by ultraviolet radiation

Molecules of Bax attach to

mitochondrial membranes

Procaspase activated to caspase

Pores form in mitochondrial

membranes

9 Figure 2.1 in Box 2 on page 11 shows a t(14;18) translocation.

(a) When in the life cycle of a cell is a chromosome translocation likely to occur? [2 marks]

(b) Use your understanding of the control of gene expression to suggest how the t(14;18) translocation
results in overproduction of Bcl-2 protein. [3 marks]

10 Use information from Figure 3.1 in Box 3 on page 12 to explain how venetoclax can be used to
treat lymphocytic leukaemia. [5 marks]

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Answers
1 Damage to the cell results in the production of caspases

(Caspases) hydrolyse the cell’s proteins, destroying the cell

2 Maintenance of a steady state in the number and activity of cells

(In groups of cells) that perform the same function

3 (a) Granulocyte or neutrophil or macrophage

(b) Surface proteins/proteins on outside of surface membrane of fragments

Are different from those on whole cell
4 Oncogenes encode proteins that induce cell division

Oncogenes are produced by mutation of proto-oncogenes

Tumour suppressor genes encode proteins that suppress cell division

(So) mutation of a tumour suppressor gene removes ‘brake’ on cell division

5 The italicised version represents the gene; the unitalicised version represents the protein
encoded by the gene.

6 It prevents hydrolysis of the cell’s own proteins

Structural proteins form the cytoskeleton and hold the DNA in chromosomes

7 Transport of electrons or component of electron transport chain

During aerobic respiration

8 Correct order:

(Cell damaged by ultraviolet radiation)

Genes are switched on that produce protein BH3

BH3 combines with protein Bcl-2

Bax protein released from Bcl-2 molecules

Molecules of Bax attach to mitochondrial membranes

Pores form in mitochondrial membranes

Cytochrome c released from mitochondria

Procaspase activated to caspase

9 (a) In prophase 1

Of meiosis

(b) Bcl-2 gene (very) close to gene for (heavy chain of) antibody

Promoter of antibody gene also affects (translocated) Bcl-2 gene

So (like heavy chain of antibody) Bcl-2 protein continuously produced

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10 Lymphoma cells have more Bcl-2 proteins than normal cells

So more binding sites for Bax

Lymphoma cells do not produce enough BH3 protein to release Bax from (additional) Bcl-2
sites

Venetoclax able to bind to (additional) Bcl-2 sites, releasing Bax

(So) pores formed in mitochondrial membranes and cytochrome c released

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