1. Cancer By: Aujan M., Zach J., Aditya P.

3. * Genetic disease that results in uncontrolled growth. * Mutation in genetic code results in failure of cell division control. * ~90% of time, cancer mutation due to external environmental factors. Cancer due to inherited mutations ~10% of time.

5. * Deletion or duplication of nucleotides in genetic sequence can lead to mutation. * Once cell’s life cycle is disrupted, cancerous cells begin to grow at rapid rate, forming a neoplasm.

7. * Cell undergoes cell division before cell is fully mature. Since they divide at a rapid rate, successive cancer cells will be immature and dysfunctional. * Mutations occur after birth, not a hereditary disease.

8. * Genes that inhibit cell division are proto- oncogenes. These can mutate and become oncogenes. * Oncogenes – mutations causes constant production of proteins/enzymes stimulating unrestrained cytokinesis.

10. * Majority of genetic mutations occur during S phase. * Result of 3 major mechanisms: * 1.) Carcinogens – cancer causing agents that cause mutation to cell’s DNA (anti-oncogenes). i.e.- chemicals and radiation. * 2.) Viruses – viruses insert their fragment of DNA into genetic material of cells they infect. DNA can compromise proto-oncogenes of cell. * 3.) Replicative Mutations – during replication, mutations can affect proto-oncogenes turning them into oncogenes.

12. * Changes to a specific portion of a gene. * May be transmitted to offspring, allowing it to be found in successive generations.

13. * Base Pair Substitution – replacement of one nucleotide and complimentary base with another complimentary pair. * Missense Mutation – altered codon still codes for amino acid, but amino acid doesn’t make sense with function of protein. * Nonsense Mutation – causes production of stop codon.

15. * Adding/Losing Nucleotide Pairs – more harmful than substitutions because mRNA coded in series of triplets. Loss/gain causes entire sequence to shift over, resulting in shift in reading frame. * Frameshift Mutation – nucleotides inserted/deleted don’t come in multiple of three. Alters reading frame. Produces useless protein.

17. * Benign Neoplasm – mass of cells whose cellular compositions is same as cells of surrounding tissues. * Surrounded by connective tissue, so metastasis doesn’t occur. * Nuclear fission similar to that of normal cells. * Since rate of division slightly higher than that of normal cells, tumor will grow slowly.

18. * Neoplasms whose DNA has mutated. Different from surrounding tissues. * Resemble immature and undifferentiated cells. * Growth is greatly accelerated and can become detrimental to surrounding tissue. * Neoplasm then breaks out of connective tissue capsule and can metastasize. * Usually contain degraded chromosomes joined incorrectly to another gene.

20. * Apoptosis- programmed cell death * Inhibit the expression of Apaf-1 * Secrete elevated levels of decoy soluble molecule that binds to Fas-L * Utilization of human proto-oncogene Bcl-2

24. * Inhibit cell division * Contains p53 gene which binds DNA and stops it from allowing damaged DNA to divide

26. * Stimulates the cell cycle * Ras is a gene turns on other genes through the signal transduction cascade which tells the cell cycle to go

30. * Divisions determined by telomeres * Cancer cells turn on telomerase * Cancer cells now divide without any limits

32. * Cancer cells need nutrients * Blood vessels nourish the tumor * angiogenesis

33. * Invading tissues and disrupting functions * metastasizing

35. * There are no cures for cancer but treatment options do exist. * Chemotherapy- poison cancer cells * Radiation- uses x-rays and radio isotopes to destroy cancer causing cells * Surgery- removes neoplasm and surrounding tissues