4 Cancer And Mutation

Question 1

What is cancer

Answer 1

Group of diseases of body’s own cells

Question 2

Give some features of cancer

Answer 2

Uncontrolled divisions of abnormal cells
Change in morphology
Dedifferentiation of cells
Metastasis

Question 3

Give the main stages of cancer development

Answer 3

Normal cells 
Hyper proliferative cell population 
Early adenoma (beginning of a benign tumour)
Late adenoma 
Carcinoma

Question 4

What is an adenoma

Answer 4

Non-cancerous tumour

Question 5

Carcinoma meaning

Answer 5

Carcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in cells that make up the skin or the tissue lining organs

Question 6

What is a point mutation

Answer 6

Small change in DNA sequence:
Amino acid substitution = missense mutation
Stop codon introduced = missense mutation

Question 7

What is a frameshift mutation

Answer 7

Insertion/ deletion of basses

Question 8

Gene amplification

Answer 8

Having more than two copies of a gene

Question 9

Chromosomal translocation

Answer 9

Fusion of genes
Or
Genes moved to more transcriptionally active region of chromosome

Question 10

Aneuploidy

Answer 10

Having an abnormal number of chromosomes

Question 11

What does mutation induction require

Answer 11

Chemical modification of DNA

Question 12

Are cancer cells dependant on or independent of positive growth factors

Answer 12

Independent

Question 13

What is a positive growth factor

Answer 13

Stimulate growth of specific tissue - regulate cell division

Question 14

Describe the process of growth factors involved in cell cycle

Answer 14

Positive growth factors bind to receptor proteins on cell surface
Activates internal portion of growth factor receptor
Cascade of signalling activated inside cell
Signal reaches nucleus
Transcription of gene involved in initiating cell cycle
Cell division
Sufficient cell division - then negative growth factors bind to receptor protein on cell surface
Cell cycle shut down

Question 15

Are cancer cells angiogenic

Answer 15

Yesssss

Question 16

What are oncogenes

Answer 16

Mutated versions of normal genes

Question 17

Function of oncogenes

Answer 17

Gene which in certain circumstances can transform a cell into a tumour cell

Question 18

What is a tumour suppressor genes

Answer 18

Controls growth/ protects cells against damage

Question 19

Mutation

Answer 19

Uncontrolled division

Question 20

Give 5 causes of cancer

Answer 20

Ages
Genetics 
Sunlight 
Alcohol/ smoking 
Oral contraceptives

Question 21

What is the correlation between age and likelihood of cancer

Answer 21

Positive correlation

Question 22

Give two examples of cancers caused by genetics

Answer 22

Breast cancer

Colon cancer

Question 23

What kind of cancer is caused by sunlight exposure

Answer 23

Skin cancer

Question 24

Give a cause of lung cancer

Answer 24

Alcohol

Smoking

Question 25

How can oral contraceptives cause cancer

Answer 25

They increase the level of certain hormones

Question 26

What kind of cancer can be caused by oral contraceptives

Answer 26

Cervical cancer Breast cancer (Because they increase the levels of certain hormones)

Question 27

Genotoxic meaning

Answer 27

Damage DNA/ cause mutations

Question 28

What can an in vitro get be used to show

Answer 28

The potential of a chemical to induce cancer

Question 29

Which two types of epidemiology studies can be done

Answer 29

Case control studies | Prospective studies

Question 30

What does a case control study do

Answer 30

Compare disease with matched control groups to look for factors more common in those with disease

Question 31

What does a prospective case study involve

Answer 31

Following a population overtime to confirm that disease is linked to suspected cause

Question 32

Over how many carcinogens does smoke contain

Answer 32

50 +

Question 33

How does benzo(a)pyrene (found in cig smoke) lead to an increased chance of mutation

Answer 33

It binds to deoxyguanosine to form DNA adduct

Question 34

How does a thymine diner which causes DNA damage form

Answer 34

Input of energy from UV causes formation of covalent bonds between adjacent thymine molecules